只言片语

只言片語

zhīyán-piànyǔ

idiom #38,861

Meanings

从他只言片语中，我大概猜到了真相。

Cóng tā zhīyán-piànyǔ zhōng, wǒ dàgài cāi dào le zhēnxiàng.

From his few scattered words, I roughly guessed the truth.

报道只有只言片语，信息非常有限。

Bàodào zhǐ yǒu zhīyán-piànyǔ, xìnxī fēicháng yǒuxiàn.

The report had only fragmentary details - information was very limited.

usage

Often implies insufficiency - 'just a few words, not a full account.' Frequently paired with 从…中 ('from…') when piecing meaning together.

只 zhǐ

言 yán

片 piàn

语 yǔ