不名一钱 — “Extremely poor”
不名一钱 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Extremely poor”. Without a penny to one's name; having not a cent. Literally, “Not own a single coin”.
不名一钱 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 不bù
- 名míng
- 一yī
- 钱qián
不名一钱 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 不名一钱
Origin and Story of 不名一钱
During the reign of Emperor Wen of Han, there was a boatman named Deng Tong. Emperor Wen once had a dream of ascending to heaven, helped by a man with a yellow hat whose sash was tied behind his back. The next day, he found Deng Tong, who matched the description, and consequently favored him greatly, showering him with immense wealth, totaling over a hundred million coins, and granting him the title of Grand Master.
A fortune teller once predicted that Deng Tong would die of hunger and poverty. Emperor Wen, concerned, declared, "Only I can make Deng Tong rich; how can I let him be poor?" He then bestowed upon Deng Tong a copper mountain in Yandao, Shu Commandery, allowing him to mint his own currency. As a result, Deng Tong became incredibly wealthy, and his coins, known as "Deng's money," circulated widely.
Later, Emperor Wen developed a sore on his back. Deng Tong, eager to show his loyalty, would regularly suck out the pus for the emperor. One day, Emperor Wen asked Deng Tong who loved him most, and Deng Tong replied it was undoubtedly the Crown Prince. When the Crown Prince, Liu Qi, visited, Emperor Wen asked him to suck the pus. Liu Qi felt disgusted by the stench and sight but reluctantly complied, showing a grimace. He later learned that Deng Tong frequently performed this act for his father, which made him feel ashamed and consequently resentful towards Deng Tong.
After Emperor Wen's death, Liu Qi ascended the throne as Emperor Jing. He immediately dismissed Deng Tong from his post. Soon, Deng Tong was accused of stealing materials for minting coins. Emperor Jing confiscated all of Deng Tong's assets, leaving him utterly destitute and owing a massive debt. Although Emperor Jing's sister, the Eldest Princess, remembered Emperor Wen's wish not to let Deng Tong starve and tried to give him money, officials immediately seized it to settle his debts, not even allowing him to keep a single hairpin. Thus, Deng Tong ended up 'without a penny to his name,' living as a dependent in others' homes until his death.
Idioms Related to 不名一钱
Antonyms of 不名一钱
More idioms starting with 不
- bù不yī一ér而zú足numerous and varied, impossible to list all
- bù不sān三bù不sì四improper or disreputable
- bù不shàng上bù不xià下stuck in an awkward position
- bù不shàng上bù不luò落in an awkward or embarrassing situation
- bù不shì世zhī之yè业unparalleled achievements
- bù不shì世zhī之chóu仇unrivaled enmity
- bù不shì世zhī之gōng功unparalleled achievement
- bù不shì世zhī之lüè略unparalleled strategy
- bù不sàng丧bǐ匕chàng鬯peace and order, rituals undisturbed
- bù不fēng丰bù不jiǎn俭neither extravagant nor frugal
- bù不fēng丰bù不shā杀neither extravagant nor frugal
- bù不wèi为wǔ五dǒu斗mǐ米zhé折yāo腰Refuse to compromise integrity for meager gain
Questions about 不名一钱
- What does 不名一钱 mean?
- 不名一钱 (bù míng yī qián) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Extremely poor”.
- How do you pronounce 不名一钱?
- 不名一钱 is pronounced bù míng yī qián in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 不名一钱 literally mean?
- Literally, 不名一钱 means “not own a single coin”. It is used to mean “Extremely poor”.
- Where does 不名一钱 come from?
- 不名一钱 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 不名一钱?
- 名：占有。一个钱也没有。形容极其贫穷。