一丝不苟 (yī sī bù gǒu)

Character breakdown

• 一 (yī) · 1 strokes

  A single horizontal stroke, representing the number one.

• 丝 (sī) · 5 strokes

  Simplified form of 絲. Duplication of 纟 (silk).

• 不 (bù) · 4 strokes

  Pictograph of sepals of a flower. The modern meaning "no" is a phonetic loan.

• 苟 (Gǒu) · 8 strokes

  Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 句 represents the sound.

Usage

他做事总是一丝不苟。

not one thread loose (idiom); strictly according to the rules; meticulous; not one hair out of place

tā zuò shì zǒng shì yī sī bù gǒu 。