English–Chinese
“not say a word” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyinyī yán bù fā
Example
会议上，大家都安静了，他却一言不发。huì yì shàng dà jiā dōu ān jìng le tā què yì yán bù fā
At the meeting, everyone became quiet, but he did not say a word.
How to say “not say a word” in Chinese
“Not say a word” in Chinese is 一言不发 (yī yán bù fā).
Silence fills an interaction because the person offers no verbal response.
Example sentences with 一言不发
记者问及此事，官员却一言不发。jì zhě wèn jí cǐ shì guān yuán què yì yán bù fā
When the reporter asked about this, the official did not say a word.
Tips for using 一言不发
- This idiom often describes a noticeable lack of response in conversation without claiming that the person has no thoughts or opinions.