dé得gaincùn寸inchjìn进advancechǐ尺foot
Give him an inch and he'll take a mile; never satisfied.
Literal meaning
gain (得) — inch (寸) — advance (进) — foot (尺)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase describing someone who is never satisfied and always wants more.
Examples
nǐ你bù不néng能duì对tā他tài太hǎo好，fǒu否zé则tā他huì会dé得cùn寸jìn进chǐ尺。
You can't be too nice to him, or he'll take advantage of you.
zhè这zhǒng种rén人jiù就shì是dé得cùn寸jìn进chǐ尺，yǒng永yuǎn远bù不huì会mǎn满zú足。
This kind of person is never satisfied and always wants more.
Usage & nuances
Used to describe someone who is greedy and opportunistic.
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