蹑手蹑脚

躡手躡腳

nièshǒunièjiǎo

idiom #34,740

Meanings

1 to walk quietly on tiptoe
2 stealthily

Characters

Examples

他蹑手蹑脚地走进房间，怕吵醒孩子。

Tā niè shǒu niè jiǎo de zǒu jìn fángjiān, pà chǎo xǐng háizi.

He crept into the room on tiptoe, afraid of waking the child.

小偷蹑手蹑脚地溜进了屋子。

Xiǎotōu niè shǒu niè jiǎo de liū jìn le wūzi.

The thief sneaked into the house on tiptoe.

她蹑手蹑脚地爬上楼梯。

Tā niè shǒu niè jiǎo de pá shàng lóutī.

She tiptoed up the stairs.

Tips

history

Appears in 《红楼梦》 chapter 54: 大家蹑手蹑脚，潜踪进镜壁去一看 — describing characters sneaking up to peek at a mirror wall.

memory

蹑 means 'to walk softly / step lightly.' The reduplication AB-AB pattern — 'soft-foot soft-hand' — paints both hands and feet moving carefully so no sound escapes.

Stroke Order

蹑 niè

手 shǒu

脚 jiǎo