没头绪

沒頭緒

méitóuxù

phrase

Meanings

1 to have no clue
2 to be at a loss
3 to be unable to find the thread

Characters

Examples

案子查了半年,警察还是没头绪。

Ànzi chá le bàn nián, jǐngchá háishì méi tóuxù.

After half a year of investigation, the police still have no leads.

我看了半天报告,完全没头绪。

Wǒ kàn le bàntiān bàogào, wánquán méi tóuxù.

I read the report for ages and got nowhere.

Tips

memory

头绪 literally means 'thread end' — the loose end you grab to start unraveling a tangle. 没头绪 = can't find the loose end, can't see where to begin. Vivid metaphor for being stuck.

Stroke Order

没 méi

头 tóu

绪 xù