yī一onesī丝threadbù不notgǒu苟careless
Meticulous; scrupulous; not the least bit negligent.
Literal meaning
one (一) — thread (丝) — not (不) — careless (苟)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase emphasizing attention to detail and precision.
Examples
Tā他de的gōng工zuò作yī一sī丝bù不gǒu苟,fēi非cháng常rèn认zhēn真。
His work is meticulous and very serious.
Tā她yī一sī丝bù不gǒu苟de地wán完chéng成le了rèn任wù务。
She completed the task meticulously.
Usage & nuances
Often used to describe someone's work ethic or attitude.
Learn idioms by speaking them
Idioms are most useful when they land in a real conversation. Practice them out loud in Kango — get instant feedback on tone and timing.
Download Kango on iOS