📖 Meaning
A single statement that carries two meanings at once. It is commonly used to convey an implicit or hidden message beneath the surface meaning of the words.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom was popularized by Hao Ran's novel 'Bright Sunny Days' (艳阳天), Chapter 86, a landmark work of socialist literature from the 1960s. In the scene, a character turns to a group of troublemakers and delivers a public announcement that simultaneously serves as a pointed veiled warning. The phrase encapsulates the rhetorical art of packing dual messages into one utterance. While the expression itself gained currency through modern fiction, the technique of double entendre has deep roots in classical Chinese rhetoric and wordplay.
💡 Example Usage
他说这话时一语双关，既是在提醒大家，也是在警告那些心怀不轨的人。
When he said this, it was a double entendre — both reminding everyone and warning those with ulterior motives.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 一语双关
- Pinyin: yī yǔ shuāng guān
- Literal Translation: one, statement, double, point
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4