Chinese Conversation · Level 38
90 words
Chinese word
冰山一角
Pronunciation
Pinyinbīng shān yī jiǎo
Meaning
- idiomtip of the iceberg
Example
这件事不过是冰山一角，别太担心。zhè jiàn shì bú guò shì bīng shān yì jiǎo bié tài dān xīn
This matter is only the tip of the iceberg, so don't worry too much.
More examples
这次的疼痛可能只是冰山一角，医生建议做进一步检查。zhè cì de téng tòng kě néng zhǐ shì bīng shān yì jiǎo yī shēng jiàn yì zuò jìn yí bù jiǎn chá
This pain may be just the tip of the iceberg; the doctor recommended further tests.
Core concept
A fragment in plain view that signals a far larger reality beneath the surface.
Common phrases
问题只是冰山一角wèn tí zhǐ shì bīng shān yì jiǎo
the problem is just the tip of the iceberg
这只是冰山一角zhè zhǐ shì bīng shān yì jiǎo
this is just the tip of the iceberg
Similar words
一鳞半爪yì lín bàn zhǎo: A few scattered details give only a tiny glimpse of the whole.
管中窥豹guǎn zhōng kuī bào: A narrow view of one part can give a wrong idea of the whole.
Definition in Chinese
用来形容表面显现的只是整体中很小的一部分，暗示还有更多隐藏或更复杂的情况未被看见。yòng lái xíng róng biǎo miàn xiǎn xiàn de zhǐ shì zhéng tǐ zhōng hén xiǎo de yí bù fèn àn shì hái yǒu gèng duō yǐn cáng huò gèng fù zá de qíng kuàng wèi bèi kàn jiàn
Word origin
冰山一角 (bīngshānyījiǎo, "tip of the iceberg") literally refers to one visible corner of an iceberg and develops naturally from the fact that most of the ice lies underwater.
Usage tips
- In everyday conversation, this idiom often suggests that a known problem is part of a larger situation, not that the visible part is merely a small sample.