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一言难尽 (yī yán nán jìn) — it's a long story (to tell); unable to explain in a few words

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'it's a long story (to tell)' — used when a situation has too much history or complexity to explain briefly, so you ask to discuss it later instead.

idiom
it's a long story (to tell)unable to explain in a few words

Examples

  • ，一言难尽。
    Tā hé qī zi zhī jiān de shì, zhēn shì yī yán nán jìn a.
    The matter between him and his wife — it's really a long story.
  • ？一言难尽，。
    Wèi shén me cí zhí? yī yán nán jìn, yǐ hòu yǒu jī huì zài màn màn shuō ba.
    Why did you resign? It's a long story — I'll tell you slowly when there's a chance later.
  • ，一言难尽。
    Wèn qǐ zhè duàn jīng lì, tā zǒng shì yáo tóu shuō yī yán nán jìn.
    When asked about this experience, he always shakes his head and says it's a long story.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

一言one word
一yīone言yánword
偏正Modifier + head
难尽hard to exhaust
难nánhard尽jìnexhaust
偏正Modifier + head

一言 is one word, and 难尽 says it is hard to finish telling.

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 →

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

The early form of 言 shows an opening and a mark indicating a location; the location is not described as the source of speech.

Open 言 →

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 難; 难 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
Sound part声符shēngfú
暵
暵hàn難nán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional 難 pairs 隹, a bird, with 暵 for sound, and meant a type of bird. It was later borrowed for other meanings; the modern 难 is a shorthand.

Open 难 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 盡; 尽 is its simplified writing.

  • 聿聿yùhand holding a brush
  • 灬灬huǒbristles
  • 皿皿mǐndish

The traditional form 盡 shows 聿 (hand holding a brush) and 灬 (bristles) over 皿 (dish), cleaning a dish until it is empty. The simplified 尽 is a shorthand, not those historical parts.

Open 尽 →
Appears in
Communication & SpeechIdioms & Set Phrases

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