抽絲剝繭
简 抽丝剥茧 · 繁 抽絲剝繭Meanings
- (lit.) to unwind the silk thread from the cocoon (idiom)
- (fig.) to unravel a mystery; to painstakingly follow the clues to eventually get to the bottom of the matter
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Mandarin tones
1–1–1–3 · chou1 si1 bo1 jian3
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
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Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.
抽絲剝繭 · find source passages ↗ · 抽丝剥茧 · find source passages ↗
Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
cau1 si1 mok1 gaan2
Cantonese word readings for 抽絲剝繭. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
phrase
- (idiomatic) to painstakingly get to the bottom of something; to struggle to understand a convoluted argument or issue
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
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