yī一oneshēng声soundbù不notkēng吭utter
Without uttering a word; not saying a thing.
Literal meaning
one (一) — sound (声) — not (不) — utter (吭)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase describing silence.
Examples
Tā他bèi被pī批píng评hòu后，yī一shēng声bù不kēng吭。
After being criticized, he didn't say a word.
Wú无lùn论wǒ我zěn怎me么wèn问，tā他dōu都yī一shēng声bù不kēng吭。
No matter how I asked, he didn't say a thing.
Usage & nuances
Often implies a refusal to speak or a silent protest.
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