蹑手蹑脚 niè shǒu niè jiǎo tiptoe

Explanation

蹑手蹑脚，汉语成语，形容走路时脚步放得很轻，也形容偷偷摸摸、鬼鬼祟祟的样子。

Niè shǒu niè jiǎo, is a Chinese idiom that describes walking with very light steps, but also secretly and stealthily.

Origin Story

在一个漆黑的夜晚，小偷蹑手蹑脚地潜入王员外家中，企图偷走他珍藏多年的玉佩。他轻手轻脚地绕过巡逻的看家狗，小心翼翼地躲避着门外的守卫，终于来到了存放玉佩的房间。他蹑手蹑脚地打开房门，蹑手蹑脚地走到床边，发现玉佩就放在枕头边。他正准备伸手去拿，突然，他听到一阵轻微的响动。他急忙躲到窗边，屏住呼吸，仔细倾听。原来是王员外家的小女儿梦游，她迷迷糊糊地走到床边，拿起玉佩，喃喃自语道：“明天我要带去学校，让同学们都看看。”说着，她又把玉佩放回枕头边，蹑手蹑脚地走回自己的房间。小偷目睹了这一切，心惊胆战，他知道自己不能再冒然行动了。他蹑手蹑脚地退出房间，消失在茫茫夜色中。

zài yī ge qī hēi de yè wǎn, xiǎo tōu niè shǒu niè jiǎo de qián rù wáng yuán wài jiā zhōng, qǐ tú tōu zǒu tā zhēn cáng duō nián de yù pèi. tā qīng shǒu qīng jiǎo de rào guò xún lú de kàn jiā gǒu, xiǎo xīn yì yì de dǒu bì zhe mén wài de shǒu wèi, zhōng yú lái dào cún fàng yù pèi de fáng jiān. tā niè shǒu niè jiǎo de dǎ kāi fáng mén, niè shǒu niè jiǎo de zǒu dào chuáng biān, fā xiàn yù pèi jiù fàng zài zhěn tou biān. tā zhèng zhǔn bèi shēn shǒu qù ná, tú rán, tā tīng dào yī zhèn qīng wēi de xiǎng dòng. tā jí máng dǒu dào chuāng biān, bǐng zhù hū xī, zǐ xì qīng tīng. yuán lái shì wáng yuán wài jiā de xiǎo nǚ ér mèng yóu, tā mí mí hū hū de zǒu dào chuáng biān, ná qǐ yù pèi, nán nán zì yǔ dào: “míng tiān wǒ yào dài qù xué xiào, ràng tóng xué men dōu kàn kàn.” shuō zhe, tā yòu bǎ yù pèi fàng huí zhěn tou biān, niè shǒu niè jiǎo de zǒu huí zì jǐ de fáng jiān. xiǎo tōu mù dǔ le zhè yī qiè, xīn jīng dǎn zhàn, tā zhī dào zì jǐ bù néng zài mào rán xíng dòng le. tā niè shǒu niè jiǎo de tuì chū fáng jiān, xiāo shī zài máng máng yè sè zhōng.

One dark night, a thief tiptoed into the house of Wang, a wealthy man, in an attempt to steal the jade pendant he had treasured for years. He tiptoed past the patrolling guard dog and carefully avoided the guards outside the door, finally reaching the room where the pendant was kept. He tiptoed open the door and crept to the bedside, discovering the pendant lying by the pillow. Just as he was about to reach out and take it, suddenly, he heard a slight noise. He quickly hid by the window, holding his breath and listening carefully. It turned out to be Wang’s young daughter sleepwalking. She wandered sleepily to the bedside, picked up the jade pendant, and mumbled to herself: “Tomorrow I’ll take it to school and show it to all my classmates.” Then, she put the pendant back on the pillow and tiptoed back to her own room. The thief witnessed all of this, his heart pounding with fear. He knew he could no longer act rashly. He tiptoed out of the room and disappeared into the dark night.

Usage

蹑手蹑脚可以用来形容一个人走路时脚步轻盈，也可以用来形容一个人偷偷摸摸，鬼鬼祟祟地行动。例如，小偷蹑手蹑脚地溜进房间，想偷点东西。

niè shǒu niè jiǎo kě yǐ yòng lái xíng róng yī ge rén zǒu lù shí jiǎo bù qīng yíng, yě kě yǐ yòng lái xíng róng yī ge rén tōu tōu mō mō, guǐ guǐ suì suì de xíng dòng. lì rú, xiǎo tōu niè shǒu niè jiǎo de liū jìn fáng jiān, xiǎng tōu diǎn dōng xi.

Niè shǒu niè jiǎo can be used to describe someone walking with light steps, but also to describe someone acting secretly and stealthily. For example, the thief tiptoed into the room to steal something.

Examples

• 小偷蹑手蹑脚地溜进房间，想偷点东西。

  xiǎo tōu niè shǒu niè jiǎo de liū jìn fáng jiān, xiǎng tōu diǎn dōng xi.

  The thief crept into the room on tiptoe to steal something.

• 他蹑手蹑脚地走进房间，生怕吵醒熟睡的婴儿。

  tā niè shǒu niè jiǎo de zǒu jìn fáng jiān, shēng pà chǎo xǐng shú shuì de yīng ér.

  He tiptoed into the room, afraid of waking the sleeping baby.

• 老师在考场上蹑手蹑脚地巡视，防止学生作弊。

  lǎo shī zài kǎo chǎng shàng niè shǒu niè jiǎo de xún shì, fáng zhǐ xué shēng zuò bì.

  The teacher tiptoed around the exam room to prevent cheating.

Related Idioms

• 轻手轻脚

• 鬼鬼祟祟

Opposite Idioms

• 光明正大

• 堂堂正正