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

• Cantonese (Jyutping): bat¹ ming⁴ zak¹ ji⁵, jat¹ ming⁴ ging¹ jan⁴

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: bù míng zé yǐ, yīmíngjīngrén [Phonetic: bù míng zé yǐ, yìmíngjīngrén]
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄨˋ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄗㄜˊ ㄧˇ , ㄧ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄐㄧㄥ ㄖㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: bù míng zé yǐ, yimíngjingrén
    • Wade–Giles: pu⁴ ming² tsê² i³, i¹-ming²-ching¹-jên²
    • Yale: bù míng dzé yǐ-, yī-míng-jīng-rén
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: bu ming tzer yii, imingjingren
    • Palladius: бу мин цзэ и, иминцзинжэнь (bu min czɛ i, iminczinžɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pu⁵¹ miŋ³⁵ t͡sɤ³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ miŋ³⁵ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: bat¹ ming⁴ zak¹ ji⁵, jat¹ ming⁴ ging¹ jan⁴
    • Yale: bāt mìhng jāk yíh, yāt mìhng gīng yàhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: bat⁷ ming⁴ dzak⁷ ji⁵, jat⁷ ming⁴ ging¹ jan⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: bed¹ ming⁴ zeg¹ yi⁵, yed¹ ming⁴ ging¹ yen⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pɐt̚⁵ mɪŋ²¹ t͡sɐk̚⁵ jiː¹³ jɐt̚⁵ mɪŋ²¹ kɪŋ⁵⁵ jɐn²¹/

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.