諺語 · a single proverb
一諾千金
Simplified: 一诺千金
What does 一諾千金 (yī nuò qiān jīn) mean?
一諾千金 (yī nuò qiān jīn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "one promise worth a thousand gold." In use it means: A person whose word is as valuable as a thousand pieces of gold. When your promises are rare and reliable, each one carries enormous weight. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dog.
Literally: "one promise worth a thousand gold."
The reading
Everybody makes promises. Most of them evaporate before lunch. The person whose single promise is worth a thousand in gold got that reputation one kept promise at a time. It took years to build and it could be destroyed in an afternoon. This is why the wise person promises less and delivers more.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Records of the Grand Historian 史記, biography of Ji Bu 季布傳
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Friendship, Trust & Speech, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 一諾千金 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一諾千金 (yī nuò qiān jīn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Records of the Grand Historian 史記, biography of Ji Bu 季布傳. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 一諾千金?
In Mandarin it is yī nuò qiān jīn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一諾千金 aloud in Mandarin.