CHENGYU
一丝不苟(yī sī bù gǒu)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- neutral, approving
- Source:
- 清·吴敬梓《儒林外史》
MEANING
- Literal
- not careless by a single thread
- Figurative meaning
- meticulous in every detail
ORIGIN STORY
In the Scholars, an official's superior praises him: "Not careless by a hair's breadth, promotion is at hand." The single silk thread stands for the tiniest detail, and 苟 for laxness — none is allowed.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“to a T”
EXAMPLES
他工作一丝不苟，深受同事信任。Tā gōngzuò yī sī bù gǒu, shēn shòu tóngshì xìnrèn.HSK6
He works with thread-fine care and is deeply trusted by colleagues.
医生做手术时一丝不苟。Yīshēng zuò shǒushù shí yī sī bù gǒu.HSK6
The surgeon works with not a thread of carelessness during operations.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It is about care and thoroughness — not about speed or frugality.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01