一筹莫展

一籌莫展
yīchóumòzhǎn
idiom HSK 7 #31,449

Meanings

  1. 1 to be at one's wit's end
  2. 2 to be at a complete loss
  3. 3 unable to come up with any solution

Examples

Miànduì zhège nántí, dàjiā yīchóumòzhǎn.
Facing this difficult problem, everyone was at a loss.
Gōngsī yù dào le zījīn kùnnán, lǎobǎn yīchóumòzhǎn.
The company ran into funding difficulties, and the boss was at his wit's end.

Tips

memory
Literally 'cannot put forth a single plan' — imagine sitting at a strategy table with blank chips (), unable to make a single move.

Stroke Order

chóu
zhǎn