每天成语
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一五一十

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

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

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.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Pre-Level 1

Idiom Essay

yì wǔ yì shí
一五一十
In Full Detail
xiǎng xiàng想象yī xià一下，rú guǒ如果nǐ你shǒu lǐ手里yǒu有yī dà bǎ一大把líng qián零钱，nǐ你huì会zěn me怎么shù数？

Imagine if you had a large handful of change, how would you count it?

dà gài大概nǐ你bú huì不会yī bǎ zhuā一把抓qǐ lái起来suí biàn随便cāi猜gè个shù zì数字，ér shì而是huì会bǎ把tā men它们tān摊zài在zhuō zi桌子shàng上，wǔ gè五个yī duī一堆，shí gè十个yī duī一堆，qīng qīng chǔ chǔ清清楚楚dì地shù数chū lái出来。

You probably wouldn't just grab them and guess a number; instead, you would spread them on the table, making piles of five and piles of ten, counting them clearly.

zhè shí hòu这时候，měi yī méi每一枚yìng bì硬币dōu都zài在tā它gāi该zài在de的wèi zhì位置，méi yǒu没有yí gè一个shì是duō yú多余de的，yě也méi yǒu没有yí gè一个shì是cáng藏qǐ lái起来de的。

At that moment, every coin is exactly where it should be, with none extra and none hidden.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种“háo wú bǎo liú毫无保留”de的zhuàng tài状态，jiào叫“yì wǔ yì shí一五一十”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically used to describe this state of being completely open: 一五一十.

zhè这běn lái本来shì是yí gè一个guān yú关于“jì shù计数”de的cí词。

This was originally a term related to counting.

gǔ rén古人nà那shí hòu时候shù数dōng xī东西，xí guàn习惯yǐ以“wǔ五”wèi为dān wèi单位，huò zhě或者yǐ以“shí十”wèi为dān wèi单位。

In ancient times, when people counted things, they were accustomed to using units of five or units of ten.

dàn但yǒu qù有趣de的shì是，xiàn zài现在wǒ men我们jī hū几乎bù yòng不用tā它lái来xíng róng形容shù qián数钱，ér shì而是yòng lái用来xíng róng形容“shuō huà说话”。

Interestingly, we rarely use it to describe counting money now; instead, we use it to describe how we speak.

dāng当wǒ men我们shuō说yào要bǎ把yī jiàn一件shì qíng事情“yì wǔ yì shí一五一十”dì地gào sù告诉bié rén别人shí时，yì si意思jiù shì就是：wǒ我yào要xiàng像shù数qián钱yī yàng一样，bǎ把shì qíng事情de的jīng guò经过，cóng tóu dào wěi从头到尾，yuán yuán běn běn原原本本bǎi摆zài在nǐ你miàn qián面前。

When we say we want to tell someone something 一五一十, it means: I am going to lay out the course of events before you from beginning to end, just like counting money.

wǒ men我们zài在shēng huó生活zhōng中，qí shí其实jīng cháng经常huì会shěng lüè省略xì jié细节。

In our daily lives, we actually omit details quite often.

bǐ rú比如péng yǒu朋友wèn问nǐ你zuó tiān昨天gàn má干嘛le了，nǐ你kě néng可能zhǐ只huí回yī jù一句“zài在jiā家xiū xī休息”。

For example, if a friend asks what you did yesterday, you might just reply, "Resting at home."

dàn但zài在mǒu xiē某些tè shū特殊de的shí kè时刻，wǒ men我们bù néng不能shěng lüè省略。

But at certain special moments, we cannot omit anything.

yě xǔ也许shì是nǐ你fàn犯le了yí gè一个cuò wù错误，xū yào需要xiàng向rén人jiě shì解释qīng chǔ清楚；yě xǔ也许shì是nǐ你mù jī目击le了yī jiàn一件zhòng yào重要de的shì qíng事情，xū yào需要huán yuán zhēn xiàng还原真相。

Perhaps you made a mistake and need to explain it clearly, or perhaps you witnessed something important and need to restore the truth.

zhè shí hòu这时候，nǐ你jiù就bù néng不能zhǐ只shuō说dà gài大概，nǐ你bì xū必须bǎ把shí jiān时间、dì diǎn地点、rén wù人物，shèn zhì甚至dāng shí当时shuō说le了nǎ jù huà哪句话，dōu都jiāo dài交代dé得qīng qīng chǔ chǔ清清楚楚。

In these cases, you cannot just give a general idea; you must explain the time, place, people, and even exactly what was said.

“yì wǔ yì shí一五一十”zhè ge这个cí词，tīng qǐ lái听起来yǒu有yī zhǒng一种hěn很tè bié特别de的“chéng kěn诚恳gǎn感”。

The term 一五一十 has a very special sense of sincerity to it.

tā它bù不xiàng像shì是zài在jiǎng讲gù shì故事，ér而xiàng像shì是zài在xiè xià卸下zhòng dàn重担。

It doesn't feel like telling a story, but rather like putting down a heavy burden.

yīn wèi因为zhǐ yǒu只有dāng当nǐ你bù xiǎng不想yǐn mán隐瞒rèn hé任何xì jié细节de的shí hòu时候，nǐ你cái才gǎn敢bǎ把huà话shuō说dào到zhè ge这个chéng dù程度。

Because only when you do not wish to hide any details do you dare to speak to this extent.

tā它yì wèi zhe意味着：wǒ我de的kǒu dài口袋lǐ里yǐ jīng已经kōng空le了，wǒ我zhī dào知道de的suǒ yǒu所有xìn xī信息，xiàn zài现在dōu都zài在zhuō桌shàng上le了。

It means: my pockets are empty, and all the information I know is now on the table.

suǒ yǐ所以，zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语bù jǐn jǐn不仅仅shì是guān yú关于“xiáng xì详细”，tā它gèng shì更是guān yú关于“tǎn chéng坦诚”。

Therefore, this idiom is not just about being detailed; it is more about being honest.

xià cì下次，rú guǒ如果nǐ你xū yào需要xiāo chú消除yí gè一个wù huì误会，huò zhě或者xiǎng yào想要yíng dé赢得bié rén别人de的xìn rèn信任，nǐ你kě yǐ可以shì zhe试着shēn深xī吸yì kǒu qì一口气，nǎ pà哪怕shì qíng事情hěn很zhǎng长、hěn很fù zá复杂，yě也nài xīn耐心dì地bǎ把tā它“yì wǔ yì shí一五一十”dì地jiǎng讲chū lái出来。

Next time, if you need to clear up a misunderstanding or want to win someone's trust, try taking a deep breath and, even if the matter is long and complex, patiently tell it 一五一十.

nǐ你huì会fā xiàn发现，bǎ把huà话shuō说tòu chè透彻le了，xīn lǐ心里yě也jiù就qīng sōng轻松le了。

You will find that once you have spoken thoroughly, your heart will feel much lighter.

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