精打細算

精打细算
jīngdǎxìsuàn
meticulous planning and careful accounting (idiom)

CEDICT

Entry Composition

1 精 jīng
  1. essence
  2. extract
  3. vitality
  4. energy
  5. semen
  6. sperm
  7. mythical goblin spirit
  8. highly perfected
  9. elite
  10. the pick of sth
  11. proficient (refined ability)
  12. extremely (fine)
  13. selected rice (archaic)
2 打 dǎ
  1. a semantically light, transitive verb that is combined with various grammatical objects to form compound verbs and verb-object phrases with a diverse range of meanings (e.g. 打傘 dǎsǎn "to hold an umbrella", 打電話 dǎdiànhuà "to make a phone call", 打針 dǎzhēn "to get an injection", 打手套 dǎshǒutào "to knit gloves", 打氣 dǎqì "to inflate")
  2. to hit; to strike
  3. to fight
  4. (coll.) from; since (as in 打那以後 dǎnàyǐhòu "since then")
3 細 xì
  1. thin or slender
  2. finely particulate
  3. thin and soft
  4. fine
  5. delicate
  6. trifling
  7. (of a sound) quiet
  8. frugal
4 算 suàn
  1. to regard as
  2. to figure
  3. to calculate
  4. to compute