见缝插针

見縫插針
jiànfèng-chāzhēn
idiom #70,333

Meanings

  1. 1 to stick a needle wherever there's a gap
  2. 2 to make use of every available bit of time or space
  3. 3 to squeeze in at every opportunity

Examples

HSK 3
Tā gōngzuò hěn máng, dàn jiànfèng-chāzhēn de xué Yīngyǔ.
He's busy with work, but he squeezes in English study wherever he can.
HSK 4
Tā jiànfèng-chāzhēn de zuò jiāwù, yīdiǎn shíjiān dōu bù làngfèi.
She fits housework into every spare crack of time, not wasting a minute.

Tips

memory
Literal: 'see a crack, stick a needle in'. A vivid image - someone who won't let any scrap of time or space go unused. Mostly positive (praise for efficiency), occasionally mildly teasing about nosiness.

Stroke Order

jiàn
féng
chā
zhēn