見縫插針

Chinese

		to see; to meet; to appear to see; to meet; to appear; to interview	crack; seam; to sew crack; seam; to sew; to stitch	insert; stick in; pierce insert; stick in; pierce; to take part in; to interfere; to interpose	needle; pin; injection
trad. (見縫插針)		見	縫	插	針
simp. (见缝插针)		见	缝	插	针
Literally: “to see a gap and stick in a needle”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jiànfèngchāzhēn

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄈㄥˋ ㄔㄚ ㄓㄣ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gin³ fung⁶ caap³ zam¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jiànfèngchāzhēn
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄈㄥˋ ㄔㄚ ㄓㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jiànfòngchajhen
    • Wade–Giles: chien⁴-fêng⁴-chʻa¹-chên¹
    • Yale: jyàn-fèng-chā-jēn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiannfenqchajen
    • Palladius: цзяньфэнчачжэнь (czjanʹfɛnčačžɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ fɤŋ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰä⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂən⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: gin³ fung⁶ caap³ zam¹
    • Yale: gin fuhng chaap jām
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gin³ fung⁶ tsaap⁸ dzam¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: gin³ fung⁶ cab³ zem¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiːn³³ fʊŋ²² t͡sʰaːp̚³ t͡sɐm⁵⁵/

Idiom

見縫插針

1. to make use of every bit of available time or space