千夫诺诺，不如一士谔谔 — “A thousand people nodding in agreement are not as good as one person speaking bluntly”
千夫诺诺，不如一士谔谔 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “it is better to have one person who dares to speak out honestly and critically than a thousand people who only agree and flatter. It emphasizes the value of frank advice over blind conformity”. Literally, “A thousand people nodding in agreement are not as good as one person speaking bluntly”.
千夫诺诺，不如一士谔谔 Pronunciation and Pinyin
千夫诺诺，不如一士谔谔 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 千夫诺诺，不如一士谔谔
Origin and Story of 千夫诺诺，不如一士谔谔
During the Song Dynasty, there was a man named Tian Yi, whose courtesy name was Qianzhi, from Hancheng. He was known for his sharp and candid advice.
The renowned scholar Huang Tingjian felt that Tian Yi's name didn't quite reflect his upright character, so he changed it to Tian Zhi (meaning 'straightforward'), believing this name would truly embody his nature.
A friend who was present at the time commented, 'Indeed, a straightforward person is highly valuable. As the saying goes, 'A thousand people nodding in agreement are not as good as one person who dares to speak out frankly and critically.''
Idioms Related to 千夫诺诺，不如一士谔谔
Synonyms of 千夫诺诺，不如一士谔谔
More idioms starting with 千
- qiān千wàn万mǎi买lín邻Good neighbors are invaluable
- qiān千sī丝wàn万lǚ缕numerous intricate and complex connections
- qiān千chéng乘wàn万qí骑Magnificent array of chariots and cavalry
- qiān千shèng乘zhī之guó国A powerful feudal state
- qiān千chéng乘zhī之wáng王A paramount sovereign or emperor
- qiān千le了wàn万dàng当everything properly settled and arranged
- qiān千liǎo了bǎi百liǎo了Everything is settled
- qiān千liǎo了bǎi百dàng当Everything properly arranged and settled
- qiān千rén人yī一miàn面all the same; lacking originality
- qiān千rén人suǒ所zhǐ指universally condemned
- qiān千chóu仇wàn万hèn恨countless grudges and deep hatred
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Open the tool →Questions about 千夫诺诺，不如一士谔谔
What does 千夫诺诺，不如一士谔谔 mean?
千夫诺诺，不如一士谔谔 (qiān fū nuò nuò ， bù rú yī shì è è) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “it is better to have one person who dares to speak out honestly and critically than a thousand people who only agree and flatter. It emphasizes the value of frank advice over blind conformity”.
How do you pronounce 千夫诺诺，不如一士谔谔?
千夫诺诺，不如一士谔谔 is pronounced qiān fū nuò nuò ， bù rú yī shì è è in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 千夫诺诺，不如一士谔谔 literally mean?
Literally, 千夫诺诺，不如一士谔谔 means “a thousand people nodding in agreement are not as good as one person speaking bluntly”. It is used to mean “it is better to have one person who dares to speak out honestly and critically than a thousand people who only agree and flatter. It emphasizes the value of frank advice over blind conformity”.
Where does 千夫诺诺，不如一士谔谔 come from?
千夫诺诺，不如一士谔谔 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 千夫诺诺，不如一士谔谔?
指众多唯唯诺诺之人，不如一名诤谏之士可贵。同“千人诺诺，不如一士谔谔”。