铁纱帽

鐵紗帽
tiěshāmào
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 a rock-solid official post, an unshakable job
  2. 2 a position that cannot be lost

Examples

HSK 7-9
Zài guóqǐ gōngzuò jiù xiàng dài zhe tiěshāmào, wěn de hěn.
Working at a state-owned enterprise is like wearing an iron cap - rock-solid job security.
HSK 7-9
Jiùsuàn tiěshāmào yě bùyīdìng guǎnyòng, zhè niántou shéi dōu kěnéng bèi cái.
Even an 'iron cap' isn't guaranteed anymore; anyone can get cut these days.

Tips

culture
The 纱帽 was the silk gauze cap worn by imperial officials and became shorthand for office itself (乌纱帽 = official post). Adding turns that cap into iron - unbreakable, untouchable tenure.

Stroke Order

tiě
shā
mào