小心翼翼

xiǎoxīn-yìyì

idiom HSK 7-9 #11,628

Meanings

Literally 'careful heart, wings folded' - like a bird cautiously folding its wings

HSK 3

在冰面上走路要小心翼翼。

Zài bīngmiàn shàng zǒulù yào xiǎoxīn-yìyì.

You need to walk very carefully on ice.

HSK 5

他小心翼翼地打开了那个古老的箱子。

Tā xiǎoxīn-yìyì de dǎkāi le nàge gǔlǎo de xiāngzi.

He very carefully opened that ancient chest.

HSK 6

她小心翼翼地端着那杯热茶。

Tā xiǎoxīn-yìyì de duān zhe nà bēi rèchá.

She carefully carried that cup of hot tea.

usage

小心翼翼 is the intensified form of 小心 (xiǎoxīn, careful). It often appears as 小心翼翼地 + verb to describe doing something with extreme caution.

history

From the Book of Songs (《诗经》): 小心翼翼 originally described a reverent, careful attitude toward important matters.

小 xiǎo

心 xīn

翼 yì