一言千金 yī yán qiān jīn A word is worth a thousand gold pieces

Explanation

比喻说话极有价值,一诺千金。

This idiom means one's words are as valuable as a thousand gold pieces, implying great value and reliability in what one says.

Origin Story

春秋时期,越王勾践卧薪尝胆,励精图治,最终打败了吴国。在勾践称霸之后,他曾经派人去渔村寻找一名技艺高超的渔夫。这名渔夫以自己精湛的技艺闻名,许多人都想高价聘请他,但他都一一拒绝了。越王听说后,亲自前去邀请。渔夫被越王的诚意所打动,欣然前往。但是他给越王提出一个条件:‘我不会轻易答应谁的聘请,除非你能够做到一言千金。’越王听后十分高兴,表示一定会遵守承诺。渔夫跟随越王多年,帮助越国发展壮大,越王的承诺也得到了兑现。他的一言一行都展现了王的威仪与气度,也展现了君王对人才的尊重。从此,“一言千金”便流传于世,成为人们对承诺的赞誉和对信守诺言的期许。

chūnqiū shíqī, yuè wáng gōujiàn wò xīn cháng dǎn, lì jīng tú zhì, zuìzhōng dǎbài le wú guó. zài gōujiàn chēng bà zhīhòu, tā céngjīng pài rén qù yú cūn xúnzhǎo yī míng jìyì gāochāo de yúfū. zhè míng yúfū yǐ zìjǐ jīngzhàn de jìyì wénmíng, xǔduō rén dōu xiǎng gāojià pìnqǐng tā, dàn tā dōu yīyī jùjué le. yuè wáng tīngshuō hòu, qīnzì qián qù yāoqǐng. yúfū bèi yuè wáng de chéngyì suǒ dǎdòng, xīrán qiánwǎng. dànshì tā gěi yuè wáng tíchū yīgè tiáojiàn: ‘wǒ bù huì qīngyì dāyìng shuí de pìnqǐng, chúfēi nǐ nénggòu zuòdào yīyán qiānjīn.’ yuè wáng tīng hòu shífēn gāoxìng, biǎoshì yīdìng huì zūnshou chéngnuò. yúfū gēnsuí yuè wáng duō nián, bāngzhù yuè guó fāzhǎn zhuàngdà, yuè wáng de chéngnuò yě dédào le duìxiàn. tā de yīyán yīxíng dōu zhǎnxian le wáng de wēiyí yǔ qìdù, yě zhǎnxian le jūnwáng duì réncái de zūnjìng. cóngcǐ, “yīyán qiānjīn” biàn liúchuán yú shì, chéngwéi rénmen duì chéngnuò de zànyù hé duì xìnshǒu nuòyán de qíxǔ.

During the Spring and Autumn period, King Goujian of Yue, after enduring hardship and humiliation, finally defeated the Wu Kingdom. After becoming the hegemon, he sent people to a fishing village to find a highly skilled fisherman. This fisherman was known for his superb skills, and many people wanted to hire him at a high price, but he refused them all. When the king heard about it, he went to invite him personally. The fisherman was moved by the king's sincerity and readily agreed. However, he put forward a condition: 'I will not easily agree to anyone's employment unless you can keep your word and make your words as valuable as gold.' The king was very happy after hearing this, and promised that he would certainly keep his promise. The fisherman followed the king for many years, helping the Yue Kingdom to grow stronger and stronger, and the king's promise was fulfilled. His every word and deed showed the king's majesty and demeanor, as well as the king's respect for talents. From then on, 'yīyán qiānjīn' has been passed down through generations, becoming people's praise for commitment and expectation for keeping promises.

Usage

用来形容说话算数,承诺可靠。

yòng lái xíngróng shuōhuà suànshù, chéngnuò kěkào

Used to describe someone who always keeps their promises and their words are trustworthy.

Examples

  • 他的一言一行都值得我们学习,真是~!

    tā de yīyán yīxíng dōu zhídé wǒmen xuéxí, zhēnshi yīyán qiānjīn!

    His every word and deed is worth learning from, it's really worth a thousand gold!

  • 他的承诺~,令人信服。

    tā de chéngnuò yīyán qiānjīn, lìng rén xìnfú

    His promise is worth a thousand gold, it's convincing