不鳴則已，一鳴驚人

不鳴則已，一鳴驚人

See also: 不鸣则已，一鸣惊人

Chinese

		not; no	to cry (of birds)	(expresses contrast with a previous sentence or clause); standard; norm (expresses contrast with a previous sentence or clause); standard; norm; rule; to imitate; to follow; then; principle	already; to stop; then already; to stop; then; afterwards		to amaze the world with a single brilliant feat; to become famous overnight; to set the world on fire to amaze the world with a single brilliant feat; to become famous overnight; to set the world on fire; a bolt from the blue
trad. (不鳴則已，一鳴驚人)		不	鳴	則	已	，	一鳴驚人
simp. (不鸣则已，一鸣惊人)		不	鸣	则	已	，	一鸣惊人

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bù míng zé yǐ, yīmíngjīngrén

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄨˋ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄗㄜˊ ㄧˇ, ㄧ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄐㄧㄥ ㄖㄣˊ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: bù míng zé yǐ, yīmíngjīngrén [Phonetic: bù míng zé yǐ, yìmíngjīngrén]
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄨˋ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄗㄜˊ ㄧˇ, ㄧ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄐㄧㄥ ㄖㄣˊ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: bu ming tzer yyi, imingjingren
    • IPA ^(key): /pu⁵¹ miŋ³⁵ t͡sɤ³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ miŋ³⁵ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵/

Idiom

不鳴則已，一鳴驚人

1. to amaze the world with a single brilliant feat; to become famous overnight; to set the world on fire; a bolt from the blue

   • 可比賽的過程卻是讓人大跌眼鏡，與之前輿論的低調相比，兩只隊伍的表現可謂不鳴則已一鳴驚人。 [MSC, trad.]
     可比赛的过程却是让人大跌眼镜，与之前舆论的低调相比，两只队伍的表现可谓不鸣则已一鸣惊人。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2006: anon, ESWC ——“梦，开始的地方 (Electronic Sports World Cup -- "A dream is the starting place")

     Kě bǐsài de guòchéng què shì ràng rén dà diē yǎnjìng, yǔ zhīqián yúlùn de dīdiào xiàngbǐ, liǎng zhǐ duìwǔ de biǎoxiàn kěwèi bù míng zé yǐ yī míng jīng rén. [Pinyin]

     But as the game progressed, everybody had to take off their glasses in disbelief. Compared to the previous low expections in public opinion polls, the performance of the two teams was literally a bolt from the blue.