一纸空文 yīzhǐkōngwén a mere scrap of paper Origin Definitions Defs Strokes Stroke Words Sentences Sents 一 yī numeral one one; the number 1; single; alone纸 紙 zhǐ [classifier] Used for documents, letters, or official papers.空文 kōngwén ineffective document A document, rule, or regulation that lacks substance or is not actually enforced; often used in the phrase 一纸空文 yīzhǐkōngwén to describe something that exists only on paper.