Chinese Conversation · Level 77
90 words
Chinese word
一诺千金
Pronunciation
Pinyinyī nuò qiān jīn
Meaning
- idiomkeep one's word
Example
老板说到做到，给人一诺千金的印象。láo bǎn shuō dào zuò dào gěi rén yí nuò qiān jīn de yìn xiàng
The boss keeps his promises, giving people the impression that he is true to his word.
More examples
签合同前，他郑重地作出一诺千金的承诺。qiān hé tóng qián tā zhèng zhòng dì zuò chū yí nuò qiān jīn de chéng nuò
Before signing the contract, he solemnly made a promise to keep his word.
Core concept
A promise is treated as a valuable guarantee whose worth is proved when words become deeds.
Common phrases
作出一诺千金的承诺zuò chū yí nuò qiān jīn de chéng nuò
make a promise to keep one's word
兑现一诺千金duì xiàn yí nuò qiān jīn
fulfill a promise to keep one's word
Similar words
言行一致yán xíng yí zhì: Acting in keeping with what has been said or expressed.
言而有信yán ér yǒu xìn: Showing that spoken commitments are trustworthy and made in good faith.
言出必行yán chū bì xíng: Making sure that stated intentions become actual actions.
Definition in Chinese
表示某人的话很有分量，说话必定会做到，用于赞扬可信赖的人或强调承诺的庄重性。biǎo shì mǒu rén de huà hěn yǒu fèn liàng shuō huà bì dìng huì zuò dào yòng yú zàn yáng kě xìn lài de rén huò qiáng diào chéng nuò de zhuāng zhòng xìng
Word origin
The expression joins 一 (yī, "one") + 诺 (nuò, "promise") with 千金 (qiānjīn, "a thousand pieces of gold"), using wealth as a scale for the seriousness and dependability of a promise.
Usage tips
- For English speakers, the large number signals praise rather than a literal amount, so the idiom suits serious commitments and a person's reputation, not routine scheduling.
Opposites
- 言而无信yán ér wú xìnbreak one's wordidiom