不名一文

bùmíngyīwén
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 without a single penny to one's name; penniless; stony-broke

Examples

Tā pòchǎn hòu bùmíngyīwén, zhǐ néng tóubèn péngyǒu.
After going bankrupt he was penniless and had to throw himself on a friend's hospitality.
Gāng bìyè nà nián wǒ jīhū bùmíngyīwén.
The year I graduated I was practically broke.

Tips

usage
here is a verb meaning 'to possess' (a Classical Chinese sense, as in 一无所有 lacking everything). is an old copper coin. So literally 'not possessing one cash.' Synonym 一文不名 (yīwénbùmíng) reverses the order — interchangeable.
mistakes
Don't read as 'name' here — that's a learner trap. 不名一文 ≠ 'no one knows my name.' It's about money.

Stroke Order

míng
wén