冰山一角

bīngshān-yījiǎo
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 the tip of the iceberg
  2. 2 only a small visible part of a much larger problem

Examples

HSK 2
Wǒmen kàndào de wèntí bùguò shì bīngshān-yījiǎo.
The problems we see are merely the tip of the iceberg.
HSK 7-9
Bàoguāng de fǔbài ànjiàn zhǐshì bīngshān-yījiǎo.
The exposed corruption cases are only the tip of the iceberg.

Tips

memory
Literal breakdown matches the English idiom one-to-one: 冰山 (iceberg) + 一角 (one corner). About 90% of an iceberg sits underwater - what's visible is just one corner.
usage
This is a calque from English 'tip of the iceberg' that has fully naturalized in modern Chinese, especially in journalism and business reports. Native speakers don't perceive it as a foreign idiom.

Stroke Order

bīng
shān
jiǎo