Chinese word

一言不发

Pronunciation

Pinyinyī yán bù fā

Meaning

  • idiomnot say a word

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.

Illustration for 一言不发 (not say a word)

More examples

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.

Core concept

Silence fills an interaction because the person offers no verbal response.

Common phrases

  • 他一言不发tā yì yán bù fā

    not utter a word

  • 对这个问题一言不发duì zhè ge wèn tí yì yán bù fā

    not utter a word about this issue

  • 当众一言不发dāng zhòng yì yán bù fā

    not utter a word in public

Similar words

沉默不语chén mò bù yǔ: Be quiet and use no spoken words.
一声不吭yì shēng bù kēng: Make no sound and say not a single word.
闭口不言bì kǒu bù yán: Keep the mouth shut without saying anything.
缄口不言jiān kǒu bù yán: Keep the lips tightly closed and say nothing.

Definition in Chinese

一句话也不说，完全不发出言语或回应，常用来形容在场合中保持沉默。yí jù huà yě bù shuō wán quán bù fā chū yán yǔ huò huí yìng cháng yòng lái xíng róng zài chǎng hé zhōng bǎo chí chén mò

Word origin

一 (yī, "one") + 言 (yán, "word") expresses one word, while 不 (bù, "not") + 发 (fā, "utter") denies its release, creating the literal picture of complete silence.

Usage tips

  • This idiom often describes a noticeable lack of response in conversation without claiming that the person has no thoughts or opinions.

Opposites

Word lists with this word