三言两语
- Literal
- three words, two phrases
- Figurative
- In just a few words, briefly; often used to say that something can be told quickly, or in the negative, that a few words aren't enough to explain it.
Where does 三言两语 come from?
It does not come from a specific tale but is a set phrase built from two parallel pairs in which the numbers "three" and "two" are not literal but evoke "very few," as in other number-based sayings. It is already documented in the drama of the Yuan dynasty (元曲) and has been in everyday use ever since to mean that something is said briefly.
How is 三言两语 used? Two examples
- 这件事很复杂，三言两语说不清楚。
This matter is very complicated; it can't be explained in just a few words.
- 他三言两语就把问题解决了。
He sorted out the problem in just a few words.
In Wanyu, all 400 chengyu have audio on every sentence, and you can save them to your decks and review them with spaced repetition. Free.
