千方百计 qiānfāng-bǎijì literally thousand ways, a hundred plans
literally thousand ways, a hundred plans (idiom); by every possible means
How to remember 千方百计: 千 thousand + 方 direction + 百 hundred + 计 calculate = literally thousand ways, a hundred plans.
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How it is used
- By every possible means - trying a thousand ways - 千方百计地解决问题 (qiānfāng-bǎijì de jiějué wèntí) do everything possible to solve it.
- Adverbial set idiom stressing exhaustive, determined effort.
- Neutral-to-positive for good ends, but can also describe scheming toward a bad end.