節外生枝 jié wài shēng zhī

DEFINITIONS

  1. a new branch grows out of a knot (idiom); fig. side issues keep arising

CHARACTERS

節 jié knot, node, joint; section
外 wài
HSK 2
out, outside, external; foreign
生 shēng
HSK 1
life, living, lifetime; birth
枝 zhī
HSK 6
branches, limbs; branch off