📖 Meaning
The statement or account of only one party in a dispute. It implies that hearing just one side of a story is biased and incomplete, and one should seek a fuller picture before judging.
📜 Origin Story
Derived from Chapter 105 of the Ming Dynasty novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong. When Wei Yan accused Yang Yi of treason during their power struggle after Zhuge Liang's death, an official warned that acting on Wei Yan's one-sided accusation alone would drive Yang Yi and his followers to defect to the rival state of Wei. The passage cautions against making decisions based on a single party's testimony.
💡 Example Usage
法官不会仅凭一面之词就作出判决。
The judge will not make a ruling based solely on one party's account.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 一面之词
- Pinyin: yī miàn zhī cí
- Literal Translation: one, side, of, words
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4