n. (Hira=いち) one, number 1

n. (Trad=一, Pinyin=yi1) one

art. (Trad=一, Pinyin=yi1) a

adj. (Trad=一, Pinyin=yi1) one, single; individual; undivided

n. (Simp=一, Pinyin=yi1) one

art. (Simp=一, Pinyin=yi1) a

adj. (Simp=一, Pinyin=yi1) one, single; individual; undivided

(1) work; employment; a task; a job; an occupation; business; duties; mission
(2) a matter; a thing; an affair; a fact; a proposition; a job; something; what; that
(3) circumstance; things; matters
(4) an incident; an occurrence; an event; an accident; trouble
(5) experience
(6) a plan; a business; an errand; a scheme; a project; a program; an undertaking

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[一] one

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[日] a day

yi4 qiu1 zhi1 he2
Raccoons of the same hillock.
Describing persons who are of a kind. All tarred with the same brush. The final character 貉 ("he2" or "hao2") is referring to a type of raccoon dog.

yi4 ju3 liang3 de2
Obtaining two things in one act.
Getting two separate results in one go. Killing two birds with one stone. Compare with 一箭双雕 (yi2 jian4 shuang1 diao1) and 百发百中 (bai3 fa1 bai3 zhong4).

yi2 fa4 qian1 jun1
A heavy weight of thousand jun hanging by a hair.
Meaning a critical situation. (One jun is equal to 30 jin, i.e. around 15 kilo)

yi2 ye4 zhang4 mu4
Covering one's eyes with a leaf.
Used to describe a person whose eyes are shaded with something trivial, so that he cannot see the far more important things around himself. Seeing no further than one's nose.

yi2 ye4 shi2 wang3
Ten visits in one night.
Describing meticulous care extended to a patient.

yi2 zi4 zhi1 shi1
A teacher of one word.
Referring to a carefully worded writing, which can be rendered perfect by only a slight alteration. Compare with 一字千金 (yi2 zi4 qian1 jin1).

yi2 zi4 qian1 jin1
A single word is worth a thousand pieces of gold.
A literary gem. Said of a well-composed essay or poem with ingenious use of words. Compare with 一字之师 (yi2 zi4 zhi1 shi1) and 一诺千金 (yi2 nuo4 qian1 jin1).

yi2 yi4 gu1 xing2
One idea, one way.
Insisting on having one's own way. To cling obstinately to one's course. Compare with 孤行己见 (gu1 xing2 ji3 jian4).

yi2 wen2 bu4 qiao4
Not worth a cent.
Utterly worthless. Alternative form 一文不直 (yi2 wen2 bu4 zhi2): Compare with 一文不名 (yi2 wen2 bu4 ming2).

yi2 wen2 bu4 ming2
One copper coin gives you no name.
One penny won't make you famous. Other interpretation; "To be penniless". Compare with 一文不俏 (yi2 wen2 bu4 qiao4).

yi2 pu4 shi2 han2
One day of exposure to the sun and ten days of freezing.
Said of someone who lacks perseverance in his study or work.

yi4 zhao1 yi4 xi1
In a morning or an evening.
Describing a very short time or something that appears suddenly or can be performed very quickly. Overnight.

yi2 hu2 zhi1 ye4
The underfur of a fox.
This is a metaphor for something very precious.

yi4 deng1 long2 men2, shen1 jia4 shi2 bei4
Once the Dragon Gate is crossed, one's status rises ten times.
Describing meteoric rise in social status. (Quoted from a letter written by Li Bai to Han Chaozong)

yi4 xiang1 qing2 yuan4
A one-sided wish.
A person who acts completely according to his own wishful thinking, disregarding the wishes of others. One's own wishful thinking. Alternative form: 一厢情愿 (yi4 xiang1 qing2 yuan4).

yi2 bang4 yong3 qi4 zhen1 yi2 dun4 yun4 qi4
A pound of courage is worth a ton of success.
The one that dares has already won.

yi2 qiao4 bu4 tong1
A locked orifice.
To know nothing about something.

yi4 bi3 gou1 xiao1
Writing off with one stroke of the pen.
To cancel everything. To forget all about something.

yi2 jian4 shuang1 diao1
Shooting two hawks with one arrow.
Getting two separate results in one go. Killing two birds with one stone. Compare with 一举两得 (yi4 ju3 liang3 de2) and 百发百中 (bai3 fa1 bai3 zhong4).

yi4 yi1 dai4 shui3
A narrow strip of water.
Said of close neighbours that you feel obliged to assist if they should need your help).

yi2 jian4 ru2 gu4
Seeming old at the first glance.
Feeling that you have known someone forever when you actually meet for the first time.

yi2 nuo4 qian1 jin1
A promise worth a thousand pieces of gold.
A solemn promise. Compare with 一字千金 (yi2 zi4 qian1 jin1).

yi2 bai4 tu2 di4
A ruinous defeat.
A warning that once one is defeated, one's liver and brains will be scattered to the ground.

yi4 shen1 shi4 dan3
The entire body full of courage.
Describing a fearless man.

yi2 gu4 zhi1 rong2
Being honoured by a glance.
Originally a metaphor for someone who has suddenly risen in status because of the good grace of a famous person. Now a metaphor for being honoured by the visit of a distinguished guest.

yi4 ming2 jing1 ren2
Amazing people with the first call.
Said of an obscure person who amazes the world with some spectacular achievement little expected by others. Startling the world. Set the world on fire. Coming as a bombshell.

yi4 gu3 zuo4 qi4
Plucking up courage with the first drum.
The soldier's morale is at its highest with the first beat of the battle drum. This expression is used to encourage people to continue and finish what they're doing.

qian1 ren2 yi2 mian4
Thousand persons with one face.
All look the same.

nan2 ke1 yi2 meng4
A dream of a southern branch.
This expression alludes to illusory joy. A pipe dream. Compare with 黄粱美梦 (huang2 liang2 mei3 meng4).

duo1 yi2 shi4 bu4 ru2 shao3 yi2 shi4
The less trouble the better.
Avoiding trouble (or work) whenever possible.

kong3 fu1 zi3 fang4 pi3; yi4 gu3 wen2 qi4
Like Confucius breaking wind; A whiff of literary air.
Referring to a person that behaves in a very scholarly manner. Too much of a scholarly air.

gu1 zhu4 yi4 zhi1
Staking everything in a single throw.
Describing a last, desperate effort when a situation is most critical.

xiao3 cong1 ban4 dou4 fu4... yi4 qing1 er4 bai2
A little onion mixed with toufu... one is green but the two are white.
When the ingredients are mixed, the colours will change. Completely innocent. As simple as a dish of white beancurd and scallions.

kuai4 yi4 xie1 hao3
May you soon get better!
Bless you! Gesundheit! Said, for example, when someone sneezes.

yu2 zhe3 qian1 lyu4, bi4 you3 yi4 de2
In a thousand schemes, even the greatest fool must be able to find some truth.
Compare with 智者千虑，必有一失 (zhi4 zhe3 qian1 lyu4, bi4 you3 yi4 shi1).

zhi4 zhe3 qian1 lyu4, bi4 you3 yi4 shi1
In a thousand schemes, even the wisest man must make at least one mistake.
Alternative form: 千虑一得 (qian1 lyu4 yi4 de2), meaning "My observations may contain a grain of truth". Compare with 愚者千虑，必有一得 (yu2 zhe3 qian1 lyu4, bi4 you3 yi4 de2).

bai3 wen2 bu4 ru2 yi2 jian4
Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times.
Seeing is believing. Seeing for oneself is better than hearing from others.

wang3 kai1 yi2 mian4
A net spread on one side.
Allowing a way out. To give the wrongdoer a way out. The same as 网开三面 (wang3 kai1 san1 mian4). Compare with 网开四方 (wang3 kai1 si4 fang1).