千呼万唤 — “To be repeatedly urged, called for, or entreated”

千呼万唤 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be repeatedly urged, called for, or entreated”. After repeated calls and earnest entreaties. Literally, “a thousand calls and ten thousand urgings”.

Frequency

千呼万唤 Pronunciation and Pinyin

千呼万唤 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
千	qiān	3	thousand, many
呼	hū	8	call out, exhale, whoosh
万	wàn	3	ten thousand
唤	huàn	10	call out, summon, awaken

Example Sentence with 千呼万唤

小猫在树上迟迟不肯下来，主人千呼万唤，它才战战兢兢地跳了下来。

The kitten hesitated to come down from the tree. Only after its owner repeatedly called and urged it did it cautiously jump down.

Origin and Story of 千呼万唤

The renowned Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi, through his poetry, advocated for the common people, which displeased the powerful officials of his era. As a result, he was demoted to Sima in Jiangzhou.

One day, he went to the Xunyang River to bid farewell to a friend. The wind rustled through the reeds, evoking a feeling of melancholy. They boarded a boat and began to drink when the sound of a pipa drifted from across the river.

They steered their boat closer, and after repeated calls and earnest entreaties, they finally met the beautiful woman who held her pipa half-hidden.