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成一家之言

chéngyījiāzhīyán
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 to form an original school of thought
  2. 2 to make one's own distinctive contribution
  3. 3 (lit.) to complete the words of one school

Examples

他钻研多年，终于成一家之言，在学界自成流派。
Tā zuānyán duō nián, zhōngyú chéng yī jiā zhī yán, zài xuéjiè zìchéng liúpài.
After years of deep study he at last established his own school of thought, founding a distinct current in academia.
她的评论独到，自成一家之言。
Tā de pínglùn dúdào, zì chéng yī jiā zhī yán.
Her criticism is original — very much a voice of its own.

Tips

history
From Sima Qian's (司马迁) letter to Ren An 《报任安书》, explaining why he endured castration to finish the 《史记》: 究天人之际，通古今之变，成一家之言。(To investigate the boundary of heaven and man, to connect the changes of past and present, and to form the words of one school.) A foundational statement of the Chinese scholar-historian's mission.
usage
一家 here means 'one school/school of thought,' not 'one family.' Often used today in academic prefaces, book reviews, and criticism to praise (or aspire to) a distinctive intellectual voice.

Stroke Order

成 chéng
一 yī
家 jiā
之 zhī
言 yán