一言不发 (yī yán bù fā) — to not say a word; to remain completely silent
Definition
Used when someone deliberately or stubbornly stays silent through a whole event. Unlike 无话可说 ('have nothing to say' from shock or guilt), this emphasizes refusing to speak.
phrase
to not say a wordto remain completely silent
Examples
- 一言不发，。Tā zuò zài nà lǐ yī yán bù fā, kàn qǐ lái hěn bù gāo xìng.He sat there without saying a word, looking very unhappy.
- ，一言不发。Tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, tā yī yán bù fā dì zhuǎn shēn lí kāi le.Hearing this news, she turned and left without a word.
- ，一言不发。Zhěng gè huì yì zhōng, tā shǐ zhōng yī yán bù fā.Throughout the meeting, he didn't say a word.
Appears in
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