冰冻三尺

冰凍三尺
bīngdòng-sānchǐ
idiom #55,735

Meanings

  1. 1 a problem built up over a long time
  2. 2 not the work of a single day

Examples

Bīngdòngsānchǐ, fēi yīrì zhī hán, tāmen de máodùn jīlěi yǐ jiǔ.
Three feet of ice doesn't form in one day — their conflict has been building for a long time.
Gōngsī chū zhème dà wèntí bùshì ǒurán, bīngdòngsānchǐ a.
The company's big problems aren't accidental — they've been piling up for years.

Tips

history
Short form of 冰冻三尺一日 ('three feet of ice isn't the cold of a single day'). Usually the full form is quoted; the half form is a conversational trigger that expects the listener to complete it mentally.

Stroke Order

bīng
dòng
sān
chǐ