1 lit. count by fives and tens (idiom); to narrate systematically and in full detail
一言一动
yī yán yī dòng
1 (one's) every word and deed (idiom)
一言一行
yī yán yī xíng
1 every word and action (idiom)
一言不发
yī yán bù fā
1 to not say a word (idiom)
一言九鼎
yī yán jiǔ dǐng
1 one word worth nine sacred tripods (idiom); words of enormous weight
一言以蔽之
yī yán yǐ bì zhī
1 one word says it all (idiom, from Analects); to cut a long story short
2 in a nutshell
一言千金
yī yán qiān jīn
1 one word worth a thousand in gold (idiom); valuable advice
2 words of enormous weight
一言既出，驷马难追
yī yán jì chū , sì mǎ nán zhuī
1 lit. once said, a team of horses cannot unsay it (idiom); a promise must be kept
一言为定
yī yán wéi dìng
1 (idiom) it's a deal
2 that's settled then
一言为重
yī yán wéi zhòng
1 each word carries weight
2 a promise must be kept (idiom)
一言难尽
yī yán nán jìn
1 hard to explain in a few words (idiom); complicated and not easy to express succinctly
三五成群
sān wǔ chéng qún
1 in groups of three or four (idiom)
三令五申
sān lìng wǔ shēn
1 to order again and again (idiom)
三句话不离本行
sān jù huà bù lí běn háng
1 to talk shop all the time (idiom)
三番五次
sān fān wǔ cì
1 over and over again (idiom)
三纲五常
sān gāng wǔ cháng
1 three principles and five virtues (idiom)
2 the three rules (ruler guides subject, father guides son and husband guides wife) and five constant virtues of Confucianism (benevolence 仁, righteousness 義|义, propriety 禮|礼, wisdom 智 and fidelity 信)
三言两句
sān yán liǎng jù
1 in a few words (idiom); expressed succinctly
三言两语
sān yán liǎng yǔ
1 in a few words (idiom); expressed succinctly
不以人废言
bù yǐ rén fèi yán
1 not to reject a word because of the speaker (idiom, from Analects); to judge on the merits of the case rather than preference between advisers