Il-eon-ji-ha

一

한 일

言

말씀 언

之

갈 지

下

아래 하

Character by character

Meaning

Settled in a single word — a flat, immediate response.

Origin

Common in Korean, typically in the form "refused in a single word".

How it is used

Used when a proposal was turned down instantly and firmly.

Hanja一言之下

Simplified一言之下

Korean reading일언지하

Pinyinyī yán zhī xià

Frequently asked questions

Q. What does Il-eon-ji-ha mean?

一言之下 · Settled in a single word — a flat, immediate response.

Q. Where does Il-eon-ji-ha come from?

Common in Korean, typically in the form "refused in a single word".

Q. How is Il-eon-ji-ha used?

Used when a proposal was turned down instantly and firmly.

Idioms in the same group

言中有骨 Eon-jung-yu-golThere is bone inside the words — a hard meaning hidden in an ordinary remark.寸鐵殺人 Chon-cheol-sa-rinKill with an inch of steel — pierce the vital point with a few words.以心傳心 I-sim-jeon-simMind transmits to mind — understanding without a word spoken.甘言利說 Gam-eon-i-seolSweet words and seemingly advantageous talk — the language of enticement.有口無言 Yu-gu-mu-eonYou have a mouth but nothing to say.語不成說 Eo-bul-seong-seolThe words do not add up to a statement — it makes no sense.

The idioms used in Korea mix phrases from the Chinese classics with ones coined in Korea. Where an expression is not used in China, the entry says so.