一丝一毫

一絲一毫
yīsīyīháo
idiom #34,119

Meanings

  1. 1 the tiniest bit
  2. 2 a thread or a hair
  3. 3 an iota

Examples

Jīngmì yíqì bù yǔnxǔ yǒu yì sī yì háo de wùchā.
Precision instruments allow no iota of error.
Tā duì zìjǐ de gōngzuò méiyǒu yì sī yì háo de mǎhu.
He is not careless in the slightest about his work.
Zhè jiàn shì wǒ yì sī yì háo dōu bù zhīdào.
I don't know the slightest thing about this matter.

Tips

history
From Ling Mengchu's 《惊奇》 (late Ming, 1632): '任凭多少,一丝一毫算是罢了' — 'however much you wish to give, even the tiniest thread and hair counts as your generosity'. and are also the names of the smallest traditional decimal units (10 = 1, 10 = 1).
usage
Almost always in negative sentences (没有//毫无 + 一丝一毫) to mean 'not the slightest'. In affirmative form, it expresses painstaking attention to the smallest detail.

Stroke Order

háo