📖 Meaning
A single character carries the weight of a thousand jun (an ancient unit equal to thirty catties). It praises writing or speech of tremendous force, gravity, and consequence, where every word is chosen with extraordinary care and wields profound impact.
📜 Origin Story
The expression builds upon the tradition established by Zhong Rong of the Liang dynasty (Southern Dynasties), who in his 'Shipin' (Rankings of Poetry) praised ancient verse with the phrase 'one word worth a thousand gold,' describing poetry so moving it startled the soul and gripped the heart. Later writers substituted 'a thousand jun'—an enormous weight measure—for 'a thousand gold' to emphasize not merely the monetary value but the sheer gravitational force of powerful prose. Over centuries the idiom came to describe writings or utterances of unmatched weight and consequence.
💡 Example Usage
这篇社论笔力雄健，可谓一字千钧，发人深省。
This editorial is written with such force that every word carries tremendous weight, leaving readers deep in thought.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 一字千钧
- Pinyin: yī zì qiān jūn
- Literal Translation: one, character, thousand, jun (ancient weight unit)
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4