一丝不苟 yìsī-bùgǒu not one thread loose (idiom)
not one thread loose (idiom); strictly according to the rules; meticulous; not one hair out of place
How to remember 一丝不苟: 一 one + 丝 silk + 不 not + 苟 careless = not one thread loose (idiom).
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How it is used
- Idiom for meticulous, scrupulously careful - literally 'not one thread careless' - 他工作一丝不苟 (tā gōngzuò yìsī-bùgǒu) he does his work with painstaking care.
- Praises exacting attention to detail in work or conduct; near 认真 (rènzhēn, conscientious) but far stronger and more formal.
- Contrast with 马虎 (mǎhu, sloppy/careless), its exact opposite.