一枝草，一點露

See also: 一枝草，一点露

Chinese

		one; single; a one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)	branch; (a measure word)	grass; straw; draft (of a document) grass; straw; draft (of a document); careless; rough; manuscript; hasty		one; single; a one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)	point; dot; (decimal) point point; dot; (decimal) point; o'clock; (measure word)	to show; to reveal; to expose to show; to reveal; to expose; dew
trad. (一枝草，一點露)		一	枝	草	，	一	點	露
simp. (一枝草，一点露)		一	枝	草	，	一	点	露

Etymology

Literally: For every blade of grass, there is a drop of dew.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yī zhī cǎo, yī diǎn lù

  (Zhuyin): ㄧ ㄓ ㄘㄠˇ , ㄧ ㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄌㄨˋ

• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): chi̍t ki chháu, chi̍t tiám lō͘

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yī zhī cǎo, yī diǎn lù [Phonetic: yì zhī cǎo, yì diǎn lù]
    • Zhuyin: ㄧ ㄓ ㄘㄠˇ , ㄧ ㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄌㄨˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yi jhih cǎo, yi diǎn lù
    • Wade–Giles: i¹ chih¹ tsʻao³, i¹ tien³ lu⁴
    • Yale: yī jr̄ tsǎu-, yī dyǎn lù
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: i jy tsao, i dean luh
    • Palladius: и чжи цао, и дянь лу (i čži cao, i djanʹ lu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡sʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ti̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ lu⁵¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chi̍t ki chháu, chi̍t tiám lō͘
    • Tâi-lô: tsi̍t ki tsháu, tsi̍t tiám lōo
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡sit̚¹²¹⁻²¹ ki⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰau⁵³ t͡sit̚¹²¹⁻²¹ tiam⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lɔ²²/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /t͡sit̚⁴⁻³² ki⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰau⁵³ t͡sit̚⁴⁻³² tiam⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lɔ²²/
    • IPA (Singapore): /t͡sit̚⁴³⁻²¹ ki⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰau⁴² t͡sit̚⁴³⁻²¹ tiam⁴²⁻²⁴ lɔ²²/
    • IPA (Taipei): /t͡sit̚⁴⁻³² ki⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰau⁵³ t͡sit̚⁴⁻³² tiam⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lɔ³³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sit̚⁴⁻³² ki⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰau⁴¹ t͡sit̚⁴⁻³² tiam⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ lɔ³³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sit̚²⁴⁻² ki³³ t͡sʰau⁵⁵⁴ t͡sit̚²⁴⁻² tiam⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ lɔ⁴¹/

Proverb

一枝草，一點露 (Southern Min, Taiwanese Mandarin)

1. As long as one is still breathing, one has a chance to live.
2. There is always a way out.

Related terms

• 留得青山在，不怕沒柴燒／留得青山在，不怕没柴烧 (liú dé qīngshān zài, bùpà méi chái shāo)
• 天無絕人之路／天无绝人之路 (tiān wú jué rén zhī lù)

References

• “Entry #60018”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.