Chinese word

诺言

Pronunciation

Pinyinnuò yán

Meaning

  • nounpromise

Example

孩子们会记住父母的诺言。hái zi men huì jì zhù fù mǔ de nuò yán

The children will remember their parents' promise.

Illustration for 诺言 (promise)

More examples

他许下的诺言最后没有兑现。tā xǔ xià de nuò yán zuì hòu méi yǒu duì xiàn

The promise he made was ultimately not fulfilled.

Core concept

A person's spoken bond to do something later, carried by trust rather than paperwork.

Common phrases

  • 许下诺言xǔ xià nuò yán

    make a promise

  • 履行诺言lǚ xíng nuò yán

    fulfill a promise

  • 信守诺言xìn shǒu nuò yán

    keep a promise

Similar words

承诺chéng nuò: A serious promise to take a certain action for someone else.
约定yuē dìng: A settled agreement on the details of a future plan or activity.
保证bǎo zhèng: A promise that guarantees a result, level of quality, or other condition.

Definition in Chinese

口头向他人表示将来会履行某事的承诺或保证，一般指非正式的约定。kǒu tóu xiàng tā rén biǎo shì jiāng lái huì lǚ xíng mǒu shì de chéng nuò huò bǎo zhèng yì bān zhǐ fēi zhèng shì de yuē dìng

Word origin

诺 (nuò, "to promise") + 言 (yán, "words") forms a compound for a promise stated in words, which suits a personal commitment about the future.

Usage tips

  • The word usually points to a personal or relationship-based commitment, not a document with automatic legal force, which makes it natural in family and other everyday settings.

Other meanings

  • vownoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word