📖 Meaning
Refers to very few words, merely a sentence or two. Equivalent to the idiom 一言半语. Often used to describe someone giving only a minimal verbal response or saying almost nothing at all.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from Sima Qian's 'Records of the Grand Historian' (史记), in the 'Biography of Lord Wei' (魏公子列传), compiled during the Western Han dynasty. Lord Xinling of Wei (信陵君), a renowned noble of the Warring States period, had treated the scholar Hou Sheng (侯生) with extraordinary courtesy known throughout the realm. When Lord Xinling was about to depart on a perilous military campaign, he noticed that Hou Sheng had not offered even a single word or half a phrase to see him off, prompting him to wonder whether he had somehow failed Hou Sheng and to turn back for further counsel.
💡 Example Usage
临别之际，他竟无一言半辞相赠，令人心寒。
At the moment of parting, he did not offer so much as a single word to see me off, which was truly disheartening.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 一言半辞
- Pinyin: yī yán bàn cí
- Literal Translation: one word, half phrase
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4