不敢越雷池一步

bùgǎnyuè Léichíyībù
dare not go one step beyond the prescribed limit

CEDICT

to dare not go one step beyond the limit; to stay strictly within bounds

Wiktionary

做事不敢逾越一定的範圍

維基詞典

Entry Composition

1 不敢 bùgǎn
  1. (regional) cannot; must not; should not
  2. You flatter me; I wouldn't presume; I don't deserve this (praise, reward, etc.)
  3. cannot; must not; should not
  4. to not dare (to do something)
2 越 yuè
  1. to exceed
  2. to climb over
  3. to surpass
  4. the more... the more
3 雷池 léichí
  1. (figurative) prescribed limit; boundary
  2. (historical) An ancient name for a river in modern-day Anhui province, China.
  3. An ancient name for a river in modern-day Anhui province, China.
  4. prescribed limit; boundary
4 一步 yībù one step; a single step