"Yiyanbufa" (not saying a single word) means not speaking even one sentence, describing a person who remains silent and does not offer any opinion or express any emotion. This idiom originates from Feng Menglong's Yushi Mingyan of the Ming Dynasty. In traditional culture, silence is sometimes regarded as a sign of caution, steadiness, or forbearance, but it may also suggest dissatisfaction, resistance, or helplessness. It is used in a wide range of contexts, and can describe a person who chooses not to speak for various reasons during a meeting, conversation, or argument, or a state of introversion or low mood. Its emotional tone is relatively neutral, and whether it is commendatory or derogatory depends on the context: if one stays silent because one is listening attentively or thinking carefully, it carries a positive meaning; if one is silent out of spite, indifference, or avoidance, it carries a negative meaning. Its deeper implication emphasizes the absence of speech and highlights the complex psychology in which silence speaks louder than words. It is often synonymous with "chenmo guayan" (taciturn) and "bikou buyan" (keeping one's mouth shut), and antonymous with "taotao bujue" (talking endlessly) and "kouruo xuanhe" (speaking fluently and endlessly).
📝 Example
1. Faced with the reporters' persistent questioning, he remained completely silent and quickly left the scene. (Describing someone who says nothing at all and keeps silent)
2. Throughout the entire meeting, she did not say a single word and simply listened quietly to everyone's discussion. (Describing someone who does not express any opinion on an occasion)