一言难尽

一言難盡

yīyán-nánjìn

idiom #20,233

Meanings

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

Characters

difficult, hard

exhaust, fully express

Examples

这件事一言难尽，等我慢慢跟你说。

Zhè jiàn shì yīyánnánjìn, děng wǒ mànman gēn nǐ shuō.

This matter is hard to explain in a word — let me tell you slowly.

他们之间的恩怨，真的是一言难尽。

Tāmen zhījiān de ēnyuàn, zhēnde shì yīyánnánjìn.

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

一 yī

言 yán

难 nán

尽 jìn