一字千金

Pronunciation: yī zì qiān jīn Literal meaning: One word worth a thousand gold

Origin & Usage

This idiom, 一字千金 (yī zì qiān jīn), originates from the historical account in the Records of the Grand Historian (《史记》) by Sima Qian. It tells the story of Lü Buwei (吕不韦), a wealthy merchant and influential politician during the late Warring States period. Lü Buwei compiled a comprehensive work titled Lüshi Chunqiu (《吕氏春秋》), which encompassed various topics from astronomy to governance. To demonstrate the perfection of this work, he hung it at the city gate of Xianyang and offered a reward of a thousand gold pieces (千金) to anyone who could add or remove a single character (一字) from it. This challenge underscored the high value and perceived flawlessness of the text. Today, the idiom is used to praise writing that is considered highly valuable and meticulously crafted.

Examples

English: "His advice was invaluable, proving that sometimes a single word can change everything."

Chinese: 他的建议一字千金，改变了我们的决策。