一五一十

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: yī wǔ yī shí
• English Translation: In full detail (from beginning to end)
• Idiom Composition: 「一」（One）＋「五」（Five）＋「一」（One）＋「十」（Ten）
• Meaning: Derived from the method of counting items by fives and tens to ensure accuracy, this idiom describes recounting a story or situation from start to finish with absolute detail, leaving nothing out.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「一五一十」 contains the following nuances:

• Detailed Reporting: It emphasizes not just speaking, but conveying information without omitting any small parts, especially during formal explanations.
• Orderly Sequence: Just like counting 'five, ten...', it implies presenting facts in a logical, chronological, and orderly manner.
• Transparency and Honesty: The idiom carries a nuance of being 'above board,' suggesting the speaker is not hiding anything or being deceptive.

3. Usage

「一五一十」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Confessions or Explanations: Most frequently used when honestly explaining the details of a trouble or incident to the police, a superior, or a parent.
  • Example:「面对警察的询问，他不敢隐瞒，把事情的经过一五一十地交代了。」
    （Facing the police interrogation, he didn't dare hide anything and recounted the course of the incident in full detail.）
• Relaying Information: Used when accurately passing on a story or situation one has seen or heard to a third party.
  • Example:「回到家后，孩子把在学校发生的事一五一十地告诉了妈妈。」
    （After returning home, the child told his mother everything that happened at school from start to finish.）
• Literal Counting: While primarily used figuratively today, it can occasionally refer to the literal act of counting money or items precisely.
  • Example:「店主把收到的零钱一五一十地数了一遍，确认无误。」
    （The shopkeeper counted the change he received one by one to confirm there were no mistakes.）

Additional Examples:

1. 既然你问起了，我就把心里的想法一五一十地跟你说吧。
   （Since you asked, I will tell you my thoughts exactly as they are.）
2. 证人将被告的作案过程一五一十地描述了出来。
   （The witness described the defendant's criminal process in meticulous detail.）
3. 请你把那天晚上的情况一五一十地写在报告里。
   （Please write down every single detail of what happened that night in the report.）
4. 他没有添油加醋，只是一五一十地陈述了事实。
   （He didn't exaggerate; he simply stated the facts from beginning to end.）
5. 虽然事情过去很久了，但他还能一五一十地回忆起当时的细节。
   （Even though it happened a long time ago, he can still recall the details one by one.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Origin: In ancient China, people commonly counted items in units of five or ten to keep track easily. This practice of 'counting out' evolved into a metaphor for recounting a story with the same level of precision.
• Literary Context: This idiom appears frequently in classic Chinese literature, such as the Water Margin (水浒传) and Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦), often used when a character is confessing or revealing a secret.
• Nuance: It is often used as the positive counterpart to 添油加醋 (tiān yóu jiā cù), which literally means 'adding oil and vinegar' and refers to exaggerating or embellishing a story.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 原原本本 (yuán yuán běn běn): From the very beginning; to tell a story faithfully from its source.
  • 和盘托出 (hé pán tuō chū): To reveal everything without reservation (literally: to bring out the whole tray).
  • 自始至终 (zì shǐ zhì zhōng): From beginning to end.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 吞吞吐吐 (tūn tūn tǔ tǔ): To hem and haw; to speak hesitatingly or hold back words.
  • 含糊其辞 (hán hú qí cí): To be vague or equivocal; to use ambiguous language to avoid the core issue.
  • 一言不发 (yī yán bù fā): Not saying a single word.link
  • 总而言之 (zǒng ér yán zhī): In short, it means to summarize everything.link

6. Summary

一五一十 (yī wǔ yī shí) is a common idiom used to describe recounting an event exactly as it happened. It implies a sense of honesty and thoroughness, similar to the English expressions "to tell the whole story" or "to give a blow-by-blow account." It is frequently used in daily conversation to emphasize that no details were omitted or hidden.