| 点金成铁 |
diǎn jīn chéng tiě |
to transform gold into base metal (idiom); fig. to edit sb else's beautiful prose and ruin it |
| 点 |
diǎn |
to touch briefly; to tap / to mark with a dot; to check off (on a list) / to order (food etc); to select / to mention; to bring up (a topic or person) / to hint at; to imply / to administer (eye medicine etc) in drops / to light (a fire, a lamp etc); to ignite / to nod (one's head) in agreement; to beckon by moving (one's hand) up and down / point; dot; spot; speck / dot stroke in Chinese characters / (math.) decimal point / point in time or space / (after a number) o'clock / a small amount; a bit; (after a verb or adjective) a bit more / classifier for small amounts |
| 金 |
Jīn |
surname Jin / surname Kim (Korean) / Jurchen Jin dynasty (1115-1234) |
| 金 |
jīn |
gold / chemical element Au / generic term for lustrous and ductile metals / money / golden / highly respected / one of the eight categories of ancient musical instruments 八音 |
| 成 |
Chéng |
surname Cheng / short name for Chengdu 成都 |
| 成 |
chéng |
to succeed / to finish / to complete / to accomplish / to become / to turn into / to be all right / OK! / one tenth |
| 铁 |
Tiě |
surname Tie |
| 铁 |
tiě |
iron (metal) / arms / weapons / hard / strong / violent / unshakeable / determined / close / tight (slang) |