八字還沒一撇 bā zì hái méi yī piě

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. there is not even the first stroke of the character 八 (idiom)
  2. fig. things have not even begun to take shape
  3. no sign of success yet

CHARACTERS

八 bā eight; all around, all sides
字 zì letter, character, word
還 hái still, yet, also, besides
沒 méi not, have not, none; to drown, sink
一 yī one; a, an; alone
撇 piě discard, abandon, throw away