密不透风
密不透风 (mì bù tòu fēng) literally means “so dense wind cannot penetrate” and expresses “airtight; impenetrable”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving strategy and action.
Also searched as: mi bu tou feng, mi bu tou feng,密不透风 meaning, 密不透风 in english
Airtight; impenetrable
Pronunciation: mì bù tòu fēng Literal meaning: So dense wind cannot penetrate
Origin & Usage
So close-packed (密) that no (不) wind (风) gets through (透). Air is the test, as water is in 滴水不漏, and it is the more demanding of the two. The phrase covers physical crowding and, far more often, information: a secret 密不透风 is one that nothing has leaked from. Security arrangements, and families who have kept something quiet for years, sometimes with a note of unease at how well it was done.
Examples
English: "Security was so tight that nothing could get through."
Chinese: 安保密不透风。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about strategy & action
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xiōng yǒu chéng zhú
Have clear plan beforehand
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步步为营
bù bù wéi yíng
Advance methodically with caution
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退避三舍
tuì bì sān shè
Make concessions to avoid conflict
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旁敲侧击
páng qiāo cè jī
Approach indirectly to achieve goal
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暗度陈仓
àn dù chén cāng
Achieve secretly through misdirection
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釜底抽薪
fǔ dǐ chōu xīn
Eliminate root cause of problem
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推波助澜
tuī bō zhù lán
Amplifying existing trends or momentum
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鹬蚌相争
yù bàng xiāng zhēng
Mutual conflict benefits third party
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 密不透风 mean in English?
密不透风 (mì bù tòu fēng) literally translates to “So dense wind cannot penetrate” and is used to express “Airtight; impenetrable”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Strategy & Action category.
When is 密不透风 used?
Situation: Security was so tight that nothing could get through.
What is the pinyin for 密不透风?
The pinyin pronunciation for 密不透风 is “mì bù tòu fēng”.