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言簡意賅

简言简意赅 · 繁言簡意賅

Mandarin · pinyin yán jiǎn yì gāi

concise and comprehensive (idiom)

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Characters in this entry

言: yán · words, speech; speak, say; Kangxi radical 149
簡: Look up this written character
意: yì · thought, idea, opinion; think
賅: Look up this written character
简: jiǎn · simple, terse, succinct, a letter
赅: gāi · prepared for; inclusive

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–3–4–1 · yan2 jian3 yi4 gai1

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

言簡意賅 · find source passages ↗ · 言简意赅 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

jin4 gaan2 ji3 goi1

Cantonese word readings for 言簡意賅. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) concise and comprehensive; compendious

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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