一窥端倪

一窺端倪

yīkuīduānní

idiom

Meanings

1 to catch a glimpse of the underlying picture
2 to get a clue; to guess at a glance

Characters

one; a single (act of)

to peep; to glimpse

Examples

通过这份报告，我们可以一窥端倪。

Tōngguò zhè fèn bàogào, wǒmen kěyǐ yīkuī duānní.

Through this report, we can get a glimpse of the underlying situation.

从他的表情中已能一窥端倪。

Cóng tā de biǎoqíng zhōng yǐ néng yīkuī duānní.

His expression already offered a clue as to what was going on.

Tips

usage

端倪 (duānní) literally means 'beginning and end' — i.e. clues or outlines. 一窥端倪 is common in journalistic and analytical writing for 'piecing together a partial view from limited evidence.'

Stroke Order

一 yī

窥 kuī

端 duān

倪 ní