一窥端倪

一窺端倪

yīkuī-duānní

idiom

Meanings

1 to catch a glimpse of the underlying picture
2 to get a clue; to guess at a glance

Characters

one; a single (act of)

to peep; to glimpse

Examples

通过这份报告，我们可以一窥端倪。

Tōngguò zhè fèn bàogào, wǒmen kěyǐ yīkuīduānní.

Through this report, we can get a glimpse of the underlying situation.

从他的表情中已能一窥端倪。

Cóng tā de biǎoqíng zhōng yǐ néng yīkuīduānní.

His expression already offered a clue as to what was going on.

Tips

usage

端倪 (duānní) literally means 'beginning and end', i.e. clues or outlines. 一窥端倪 is common in journalistic and analytical writing for 'piecing together a partial view from limited evidence.'

Stroke Order

一 yī

窥 kuī

端 duān

倪 ní