一言难尽

一言難盡
yīyánnánjìn
idiom #20,233

Meanings

  1. 1 hard to explain in a word
  2. 2 it's a long story
  3. 3 too complicated to explain briefly

Examples

Zhè jiàn shì yī yán nán jìn, děng wǒ màn man gēn nǐ shuō.
This matter is hard to explain in a word — let me tell you slowly.
Tāmen zhī jiān de ēnyuàn, zhēn de shì yī yán nán jìn.
The grudges between them are really too complicated to explain briefly.

Tips

usage
一言难尽 is a very common conversational opener when someone has a complicated backstory to share. It signals that the explanation will take a while, and often invites the listener to sit down and listen carefully.

Stroke Order

yán
nán
jǐn