Practical guide
一五一十 (yī wǔ yī shí): Counting, Detailed Accounts and Examples
一五一十 can describe counting in fives and tens or recounting an event in detail from beginning to end. Learn the two recorded meanings, original Chinese sentences and a report exercise separating detail, exact quotation and verified facts.
Two recorded meanings share the expression
一五一十 is written the same way in simplified and traditional Chinese. Its dictionary reading is yī wǔ yī shí. The entry records counting in units of five and ten, and figuratively recounting an event thoroughly from beginning to end. [1]
“Tell the whole account in detail” can explain the second meaning. It is not a translation for every literal counting scene. Conversely, the numerals in the expression do not mean that every detailed account must contain numerical data.
Identify whether the sentence counts or recounts
Look for the object of the action. A sentence describing someone counting coins may use the numerical sense. A sentence describing how someone explains an event may use the detailed-account sense. The dictionary supplies examples of both; the modern sentences in this guide are original. [1]
“In detail” does not require copying every word someone spoke. A summary can cover the relevant sequence accurately without being a transcript. A long account can also contain errors. Completeness of narration and truth of its claims are separate questions.
Two original sentences show the two contexts
These situations are invented for language learning.
她把桌上的硬币一五一十地数清，再记下总数。
“She counts the coins on the table carefully in units of five and ten, then records the total.” The supplied object is a set of coins. This sentence is not about narrating a dispute or an event.
他把发现钥匙、交到服务台的经过一五一十地说了出来。
“He gives a detailed account of finding the key and handing it in at the service desk.” The sequence names what he did. It does not state that he heard or knows every conversation at the desk.
A detailed account can preserve an unknown
| Part of the event | Supplied fact | Accurate account | Unsupported addition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finding | A key was found beside a bench. | Describe where it was found. | Name an owner who has not been identified. |
| Handing in | It was handed to the desk attendant. | Describe that handover. | Invent what the attendant later said to its owner. |
| Later outcome | No later information is supplied. | Say that the later outcome is unknown. | Report a reunion that nobody has observed. |
This teaching table shows how a detailed report can remain bounded by what the narrator knows. Leaving a genuinely unknown outcome marked unknown is different from omitting a known step that the task asks you to explain.
Detail and frankness answer different questions
开诚布公 foregrounds frank, sincere communication. 一五一十 foregrounds the detail and coverage of an account, or literal counting in its other sense.
Someone may speak frankly in one short sentence. Someone may give a long account that hides a motive. The expressions can both fit a situation that supplies detail and frankness, but neither automatically proves the other. For a report, name what was observed, what was remembered and what remains unknown.
Choose the detailed account that keeps its scope
Original exercise: The narrator knows where a key was found and when it was handed in, but not whether its owner returned. Which ending fits an evidence-bound account?
- “I handed it in; I do not know what happened afterward.”
- “The owner returned and thanked everyone,” added to make the story feel complete.
Check detail without invention
Ending 1. It covers the known event and marks the later gap. Ending 2 is invented. Calling a report 一五一十 does not authorise filling unknown parts with imagined facts.
Sources and further reading
- Education Ministry Chengyu Dictionary revised-dictionary appendix: 一五一十Recorded lexical senses, spelling and pronunciation; original teaching examples and comparisons are provided in this guide.