fragments; scraps; bits and pieces
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesidiom
fragmentary bits; scattered fragments; odds and ends
literaryOriginally referring to seeing only a few scales and claws of a dragon in the clouds; now used to describe incomplete information or fragmentary things. Often used as a noun phrase.
Zhè这
piān篇
bào报
dào道
zhǐ只
shì是
tí提
gōng供
le了
shì事
jiàn件
de的
yī一
lín鳞
bàn半
zhǎo爪
，
zhēn真
xiàng相
hái还
yuǎn远
wèi未
jiē揭
kāi开
。
This report only provides a fragmentary glimpse of the incident; the truth is far from being revealed.
Tā他
shōu收
jí集
de的
gǔ古
dǒng董
zhǐ只
shì是
nà那
ge个
cháo朝
dài代
yì艺
shù术
de的
yī一
lín鳞
bàn半
zhǎo爪
。
The antiques he collected are just a tiny fragment of that dynasty's art.
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Zhè这
piān篇
huí回
yì忆
lù录
duì对
yú于
nà那
duàn段
lì历
shǐ史
zhǐ只
yǒu有
yī一
lín鳞
bàn半
zhǎo爪
de的
jì记
zǎi载
。
This memoir contains only fragmentary records of that period of history.
Dōng东
lín鳞
xī西
zhǎo爪
de地
tīng听
lái来
yī一
xiē些
xiāo消
xi息
，
bù不
zú足
yǐ以
pàn判
duàn断
shì事
qing情
de的
quán全
mào貌
。
Hearing bits and pieces of news from here and there is insufficient to judge the whole picture of the matter.