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点铁成金

diǎn tiě chéng jīndictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
to touch base matter and turn it to gold (idiom) / fig. to turn crude writing into a literary gem
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-cc187c22d4a14fc1. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

點鐵成金 点铁成金 [dian3 tie3 cheng2 jin1] /to touch base matter and turn it to gold (idiom); fig. to turn crude writing into a literary gem/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 點鐵成金

  • 点
    diǎn

    to touch briefly / to tap / to mark with a dot / to check off (on a list) / to order (food etc) / to select / to mention / to bring up (a topic or person) / to hint at / to imply / to administer (eye medicine etc) in drops / to light (a fire, a lamp etc) / to ignite / to nod (one's head) in agreement / to beckon by moving (one's hand) up and down / point / dot / spot / speck / dot stroke in Chinese characters / (math.) decimal point / point in time or space / (after a number) o'clock / a small amount / a bit / (after a verb or adjective) a bit more / classifier for small amounts

  • 铁
    tiě

    iron (metal) / arms / weapons / hard / strong / violent / unshakeable / determined / close / tight (slang)

    Tiě

    surname Tie

  • 成
    chéng

    to succeed / to finish / to complete / to accomplish / to become / to turn into / to be all right / OK! / one tenth

    Chéng

    surname Cheng / short name for Chengdu 成都[Chéng dū]

  • 金
    jīn

    gold / chemical element Au / generic term for lustrous and ductile metals / money / golden / highly respected / one of the eight categories of ancient musical instruments 八音[bā yīn]

    Jīn

    surname Jin / surname Kim (Korean) / Jurchen Jin dynasty (1115–1234)

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.