Definition
This is a Chinese four-character idiom (成语) meaning 'to have no way to start' or 'to be at a loss as to where to begin'. The literal image is 'having nowhere to put one's hands'. You use it when you face a task or problem so complex or unfamiliar that you simply do not know how to begin tackling it. It functions as a predicate or complement in a sentence.
v.p.
to have no idea how to startto not know where to begin
Examples
- ，无从下手。Zhège xiàngmù tài fùzá, wǒ zhēnshi mó.This project is too complex; I really have no idea how to start.
- ，无从下手。Miànduì yì duī shùjù, tā gǎndào mó.Faced with a pile of data, he felt at a loss as to where to begin.
- ，无从下手。Dì-yī cì xiě lùnwén, nánmiǎn mó.When writing a paper for the first time, it's hard to avoid not knowing where to start.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.