大海捞针

大海撈針
dàhǎilāozhēn
idiom #17,487

Meanings

  1. 1 to look for a needle in a haystack
  2. 2 to fish a needle from the sea

Characters

Literally 'great sea fish-out needle' — to search for something impossibly small in a vast expanse.

Examples

Zài zhè zuò dà chéngshì lǐ zhǎo tā, jiǎnzhí shì dàhǎilāozhēn.
Looking for him in this big city is like finding a needle in a haystack.
Méiyǒu xiànsuǒ jiù qù pò'àn, wúyìyú dàhǎilāozhēn.
Trying to solve the case without clues is no different from looking for a needle in a haystack.

Tips

memory
The Chinese version uses 'fishing a needle from the ocean' instead of a haystack. Picture someone with a fishing rod in the Pacific trying to hook a tiny sewing needle — that's how hopeless the task is.

Stroke Order

hǎi
lāo
zhēn