一丝一毫
yī sī yī háo
-
1 one thread, one hair (idiom); a tiny bit
-
2 an iota
一丝不挂
yī sī bù guà
-
1 not wearing one thread (idiom); absolutely naked
-
2 without a stitch of clothing
-
3 in one's birthday suit
一丝不苟
yī sī bù gǒu
-
1 not one thread loose (idiom); strictly according to the rules
-
2 meticulous
-
3 not one hair out of place
人是铁饭是钢
rén shì tiě fàn shì gāng
-
1 one can't function properly on an empty stomach (idiom)
-
2 an empty sack cannot stand upright
只要功夫深，铁杵磨成针
zhǐ yào gōng fu shēn , tiě chǔ mó chéng zhēn
-
1 If you work at it hard enough, you can grind an iron bar into a needle.
-
2 cf idiom 磨杵成針|磨杵成针, to grind an iron bar down to a fine needle (idiom); fig. to persevere in a difficult task
-
3 to study diligently
吐丝自缚
tǔ sī zì fù
-
1 to spin a cocoon around oneself (idiom); enmeshed in a trap of one's own devising
-
2 hoist with his own petard
单丝不成线，独木不成林
dān sī bù chéng xiàn , dú mù bù chéng lín
-
1 one strand does not make a thread, one tree does not make a forest (idiom)
严丝合缝
yán sī hé fèng
-
1 to fit tightly (idiom)
-
2 to join seamlessly
-
3 to fit snugly
恨铁不成钢
hèn tiě bù chéng gāng
-
1 lit. to hate iron for not becoming steel
-
2 to feel resentful towards sb for failing to meet expectations and impatient to see improvement (idiom)
手无寸铁
shǒu wú cùn tiě
-
1 lit. not an inch of steel (idiom); unarmed and defenseless
抽丝剥茧
chōu sī bāo jiǎn
-
1 lit. to spin silk from cocoons
-
2 fig. to make a painstaking investigation (idiom)
斩钉截铁
zhǎn dīng jié tiě
-
1 lit. to chop the nail and slice the iron (idiom)
-
2 fig. resolute and decisive
-
3 unhesitating
-
4 categorical
病来如山倒，病去如抽丝
bìng lái rú shān dǎo , bìng qù rú chōu sī
-
1 sickness comes like a landslide, but goes slowly like spinning silk (idiom); expect to convalesce slowly
砸锅卖铁
zá guō mài tiě
-
1 to be willing to sacrifice everything one has (idiom)
磨穿铁砚
mó chuān tiě yàn
-
1 to grind one's way through an ink stone
-
2 to persevere in a difficult task (idiom)
-
3 to study diligently (idiom)
纹丝不动
wén sī bù dòng
-
1 to not move a single jot (idiom)
丝毫不差
sī háo bù chā
-
1 accurate to perfection (idiom)
-
2 precise to the finest detail
藕断丝连
ǒu duàn sī lián
-
1 lit. lotus roots may break, but the fiber remains joined (idiom); lovers part, but still long for one another
踏破铁鞋
tà pò tiě xié
-
1 lit. to wear out one's iron shoes (idiom)
-
2 fig. to search high and low
铜墙铁壁
tóng qiáng tiě bì
-
1 copper wall, iron bastion (idiom); impenetrable defense