一絲不苟

Chinese

		a tiny bit	not doing things easily or rashly; careful; scrupulous
trad. (一絲不苟)		一絲	不苟
simp. (一丝不苟)		一丝	不苟

Etymology

From the novel The Scholars, chapter 4:

上司訪知，見世叔一絲不苟，陞遷就在指日。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]

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上司访知，见世叔一丝不苟，升迁就在指日。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

From: Wu Jingzi, The Scholars, 1750 CE

Shàngsī fǎngzhī, jiàn shìshū yīsī bùgǒu, shēngqiān jiù zài zhǐrì. [Pinyin]

When your superior hears about this, seeing that you have been scrupulous in every detail, you will be promoted in no time.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yīsībùgǒu

  (Zhuyin): ㄧ ㄙ ㄅㄨˋ ㄍㄡˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jat¹ si¹ bat¹ gau²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yīsībùgǒu [Phonetic: yìsībùgǒu]
    • Zhuyin: ㄧ ㄙ ㄅㄨˋ ㄍㄡˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yisihbùgǒu
    • Wade–Giles: i¹-ssŭ¹-pu⁴-kou³
    • Yale: yī-sz̄-bù-gǒu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: isybugoou
    • Palladius: исыбугоу (isybugou)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ sz̩⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ koʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jat¹ si¹ bat¹ gau²
    • Yale: yāt sī bāt gáu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jat⁷ si¹ bat⁷ gau²
    • Guangdong Romanization: yed¹ xi¹ bed¹ geo²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐt̚⁵ siː⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ kɐu̯³⁵/

Verb

一絲不苟

1. to be scrupulous about every detail; to not be the least bit negligent; to not overlook any detail