4 characters Idiom and proverb 13 17

Chinese education begins with characters, continues with phrases, and grows into idioms. This free lesson covers the idiom 「咫尺之書」. Learn its usage below.

We’re presenting the idiom 「咫尺之書」 this time—its explanation and use are detailed below.

letter. In ancient times, people used wooden slips for writing. The slips for letters were over a foot long, hence the name.

The Mandarin pronunciation of this idiom is :

zhǐ chǐ zhī shū

while its Cantonese pinyin is :

ji2 chek3 ji1 syu1

There’s no shortage of Chinese idioms, each offering unique meanings and ways to use them. This guide is here to assist you as you improve your understanding of the language.