| 绞尽脑汁 |
jiǎo jìn nǎo zhī |
to rack one's brains |
| 绞 |
jiǎo |
to twist (strands into a thread) / to entangle / to wring / to hang (by the neck) / to turn / to wind / classifier for skeins of yarn |
| 尽 |
jǐn |
to the greatest extent / (when used before a noun of location) furthest or extreme / to be within the limits of / to give priority to |
| 尽 |
jìn |
to use up / to exhaust / to end / to finish / to the utmost / exhausted / finished / to the limit (of sth) / all / entirely |
| 脑 |
nǎo |
brain / mind / head / essence |
| 脑汁 |
nǎo zhī |
brains |
| 汁 |
zhī |
juice |