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一钱不值 (yì qián bù zhí) — not worth a cent; utterly worthless

Definition

A fixed idiom meaning 'utterly worthless, not worth a penny' — used for people, things, or promises the speaker dismisses. Stronger than 没用; more literary than 不值钱.

idiom
not worth a centutterly worthless

Examples

  • 一钱不值。
    Tā nà ge rén zài dà jiā yǎn lǐ yì qián bù zhí.
    That person is not worth a cent in everyone's eyes.
  • ，一钱不值。
    Zhè xiē jiǎ huò pǐn zhì chà, yì qián bù zhí.
    These fake goods are of poor quality, worthless.
  • 一钱不值，。
    Tā de chéng nuò yì qián bù zhí, méi rén xiāng xìn.
    His promise is not worth a cent; no one believes him.

Origin

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 錢; 钱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal; gold; money
Sound part声符shēngfú
戔
戔jiān錢qián
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 錢 combines 金, meaning metal or money, with 戔, which gives the sound; the simplified 钱 is a later shorthand.

Open 钱 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
直
直zhí值zhí
Same sound today

值 is made from 亻 (written in full as 人, a person) and 直, with 直 giving the sound.

Open 值 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesGood & Bad

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