25305
I'm currently trying to read a japanese novel and I found this expression :

> 一をいうと十返ってくる

It was meant to qualify a character, but I just don't get it. At first I
thought it could mean "tell one and give back ten", so I thought it meant this
character tends to do more than he was actually asked or intended to do...?
However, I tried searching on japanese sites and it seems it's a saying to
qualify a very proud person...? Still I would like to have a more precise idea
of what it could really mean and where it does come from, because I'm very
interested by japanese idioms. Does anyone have a more precise idea ? Thank
you very much.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-24T23:12:58.233
25303
2015-06-25T00:15:11.587
10448
question
translation meaning idioms
A japanese saying "一をいうと十返ってくる"
> 「[一]{いち}をいうと[十返]{じゅうかえ}ってくる」

The meaning and nuance of this phrase can be quite different depending on the
context or the speaker's intention.

**_Positive:_**

Someone is always willing to give a full explanation. You ask one simple
question and he will not only answer that question but also give you so much
more related information.

**_Negative:_**

Someone always talks back to you. Tell him one thing and he will give back a
long session of objection, refutation, etc.

**_(Possibly) more important:_**

I explained the phrase in terms of "speaking words" above, but the phrase does
not always have to be about "ten times as many words". It can also be about
someone's tendency in taking non-verbal actions if he just is the type to do
much more than the bare minimum.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-25T00:15:11.587
25305
2015-06-25T00:15:11.587
25303
answer