一板一眼

yībǎn-yīyǎn

idiom #34,042

Meanings

1 methodical and by the book
2 careful and precise; sometimes overly rigid

Characters

strong beat (opera clapper)

Examples

HSK 6

她讲话一板一眼，像在念稿。

Tā jiǎnghuà yībǎn-yīyǎn, xiàng zài niàn gǎo.

She speaks so stiffly and methodically, as if reading from a script.

HSK 7-9

他做事一板一眼，从不马虎。

Tā zuòshì yībǎn-yīyǎn, cóngbù mǎhu.

He does things by the book and is never sloppy.

Tips

culture

板眼 originally refers to the strong (板) and weak (眼) beats in Chinese opera and traditional music. Keeping to 板眼 meant staying on beat, and the phrase carried into everyday speech meaning "strictly by the rules".

Stroke Order

一 yī

板 bǎn

眼 yǎn