蛛丝马迹

蛛絲馬跡

zhūsī-mǎjì

idiom #12,879

Meanings

1 tiny clues; traces; subtle hints (of a secret)

Characters

Examples

警察从现场找到了蛛丝马迹。

Jǐngchá cóng xiànchǎng zhǎodào le zhūsīmǎjì.

The police found traces of clues at the scene.

我们要从蛛丝马迹中发现真相。

Wǒmen yào cóng zhūsīmǎjì zhōng fāxiàn zhēnxiàng.

We need to discover the truth from subtle clues.

Tips

memory

蛛丝 (spider's thread) + 马迹 (horse's tracks) — even the faintest traces, like a spider's web or a horse's hoofprints, can reveal the truth.

Stroke Order

蛛 zhū

丝 sī

马 mǎ

迹 jì