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隻言片語

简只言片语 · 繁隻言片語

Mandarin · pinyin zhī yán piàn yǔ

(idiom) just a word or two; a few isolated phrases

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Characters in this entry

隻: zhī · single, one of pair, lone; measure word
言: yán · words, speech; speak, say; Kangxi radical 149
片: piàn · slice, splinter, strip; rad. 91
語: Look up this written character
只: zhǐ · only, just, simply
语: yǔ · language, words; saying, expression

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

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Mandarin tones

1–2–4–3 · zhi1 yan2 pian4 yu3

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Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

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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.

隻言片語 · find source passages ↗ · 只言片语 · find source passages ↗

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Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zek3 jin4 pin3 jyu5

Cantonese word readings for 隻言片語. 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.

noun

a word or two; a few isolated words and phrases

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

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