📖 Meaning
Completely without any news or message from someone. It describes a situation where one has heard nothing at all from a person, often causing worry or longing. The phrase emphasizes the total absence of communication.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Ming dynasty play 'Yun Pi Ji' (运甓记, The Story of Carrying Bricks) by playwright Wu Qiurui (吾邱瑞). In the section titled 'Jian Fa Yan Bin' (剪发延宾, Cutting Hair to Host Guests), the line reads '盼前程音信杳无' — looking ahead to the future, no news arrives at all. The play draws on the historical story of Tao Kan of the Jin dynasty, who diligently carried bricks to cultivate discipline. The idiom later came to describe a total lack of correspondence or word from someone.
💡 Example Usage
自他离家参军后，音信杳无，家人十分挂念。
After he left home to join the army, there was no word from him at all, and his family missed him deeply.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 音信杳无
- Pinyin: yīn xìn yǎo wú
- Literal Translation: news, letter, distant, none
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4