CYChengyu Dictionary

Chengyu meaning

胆大心细 (dǎn dà xīn xì)

bold but careful

Plain Answer

Source: Modern descriptive compound idiom. Treated here as modern usage; read it first as a sentence-level judgment.

Core meaning: 胆大心细 means bold but careful: Used for someone who dares to act under pressure but still notices details, checks risk, and avoids reckless mistakes.

Practice this meaning
Label
positive / common spoken and written Chinese
Best objects
emergency response, negotiation, meaning boundary
Do not use when
Do not use 胆大心细 for a scene that only shares one surface word with the meaning. If the problem is closer to 步步为营 or the contrast points toward 掉以轻心, choose that nearby entry instead of stretching this one.

Use: Use 胆大心细 when the emergency response sentence shows the object, cause, and tone clearly. Avoid: Avoid 胆大心细 when the sentence only sounds related, lacks evidence, or needs a plainer word.

emergency response做急救的人要胆大心细，动作要快，细节也不能错。Zuo jijiu de ren yao dan da xin xi, dongzuo yao kuai, xijie ye buneng cuo.People doing emergency response need to be bold but careful: fast in action, accurate in detail.

Next: Read the examples, then compare 步步为营 before practicing 胆大心细 in the focused quiz.

Often studied with: 步步为营, 破釜沉舟, 一丝不苟

Read This First

胆大心细 is introduced here through a modern usage entry rather than a fixed ancient anecdote; the source label is Modern descriptive compound idiom, and the page separates that background from modern sentence choice.

胆大心细 means bold but careful. The important first reading is Used for someone who dares to act under pressure but still notices details, checks risk, and avoids reckless mistakes. This is a positive phrase in normal use, so the sentence must show the judgment clearly.

Use 胆大心细 when the object, cause, and tone match examples such as emergency response, negotiation, meaning boundary; then compare 步步为营 and 破釜沉舟 before writing your own sentence.

Avoid 胆大心细 when the sentence only shares a broad topic, when the tone would be unfair to the person being described, or when a plainer word would be clearer than a chengyu.

Start with this cue: emergency response plus a visible reason.

Meaning and Translation Notes

Used for someone who dares to act under pressure but still notices details, checks risk, and avoids reckless mistakes.

Literal meaning

large courage and fine attention

  • 胆大 / brave or daring
  • 心细 / careful-minded and attentive to detail

English equivalents

  • bold but careful plain

    Best for the core balance of courage and detail.

  • brave and meticulous near

    Good when praising execution under pressure.

  • daring without being careless plain

    Useful when contrasting it with recklessness.

How To Use It

Use 胆大心细 when the reader can see why bold but careful is the exact judgment, not just the topic. A strong sentence names the actor, the thing being judged, and the evidence that makes this idiom more precise than an ordinary adjective.

  • Use it when risk exists and the person handles both action and detail well.
  • It fits emergency work, negotiation, surgery-like precision, fieldwork, entrepreneurship, and complex execution.
  • The phrase is positive, but the sentence should show both courage and care.

Common Mistakes

Do not use 胆大心细 for a scene that only shares one surface word with the meaning. If the problem is closer to 步步为营 or the contrast points toward 掉以轻心, choose that nearby entry instead of stretching this one.

  • Do not use it for reckless bravery. If details are ignored, 掉以轻心 may be closer.
  • Do not use it for quiet carefulness with no pressure or daring; 一丝不苟 is better for pure meticulousness.

Wrong Use Clinic

The most useful check is often the phrase you should reject.

  1. The learner wants to sound more idiomatic but has only a broad topic match for 胆大心细.

    The sentence drops in 胆大心细 without showing the cause, object, or tone that would make the idiom necessary.

    Fix: Rewrite the sentence so the evidence for bold but careful appears before or after the phrase.

    胆大心细 fails in this case because a chengyu is not decoration; it must name the exact judgment the sentence is making.

    Compare bu bu wei ying

  2. The learner wants to say the opposite or a neighboring idea and chooses 胆大心细 because it feels familiar.

    The sentence uses 胆大心细, but the described situation points to a different cause, time point, or social attitude.

    Fix: Compare the sentence with 掉以轻心 and choose the phrase whose boundary explains the situation with less force.

    胆大心细 becomes misleading when the nearby phrase would identify the real problem more cleanly.

    Compare diao yi qing xin

  3. The learner has the right meaning area for 胆大心细 but ignores register and emotional force.

    The sentence uses 胆大心细 directly about a person, yet gives no softening context or evidence for such a positive and practical judgment.

    Fix: Add the observed behavior first, or choose 破釜沉舟 if the sentence needs a gentler learning path.

    胆大心细 can sound heavier than a short English gloss. The reader needs enough context to see why the tone is fair.

    Compare po fu chen zhou

  4. The learner remembers the origin image of 胆大心细 but applies it to the wrong object.

    The sentence names an image or story detail, but the real object being judged would be better explained by another chengyu.

    Fix: Name the object first. If the object points toward 马马虎虎, use that contrast instead.

    胆大心细 should follow the judgment, not the most memorable image. Story memory is useful only when it supports the sentence-level decision.

    Compare ma ma hu hu

Chengyu Often Studied Together

Use these clusters to build sentence-level judgment instead of memorizing a single gloss.

  1. 胆大心细 with nearby learner choices

    胆大心细 is often studied beside 步步为营 and 破釜沉舟 because the words share a theme while asking the learner to judge a different cause, tone, or timing.

    老师先让学生解释胆大心细，再比较步步为营和破釜沉舟，这样不会只凭英文近义词选答案。

    bu bu wei yingpo fu chen zhou

  2. 胆大心细 with contrast checks

    胆大心细 becomes easier to use when it is contrasted with 一丝不苟 and 掉以轻心; the contrast forces the writer to decide whether the sentence is praise, warning, correction, or neutral description.

    写作练习里先用胆大心细造句，再换成一丝不苟，观察判断方向怎样改变。

    yi si bu goudiao yi qing xinbu bu wei ying

  3. 胆大心细 in example-building drills

    胆大心细 should be practiced with 步步为营 and 一丝不苟 because examples reveal whether the learner is choosing by meaning, tone, or only by a remembered image.

    课堂上先用胆大心细写一个有证据的句子，再换成步步为营或一丝不苟说明判断为什么改变。

    bu bu wei yingyi si bu goupo fu chen zhou

  4. 胆大心细 in story and source review

    胆大心细 links best with 破釜沉舟 and 掉以轻心 when the learner is checking whether a source image truly supports a modern sentence.

    复习出处时，不要只背胆大心细的故事，还要比较破釜沉舟，看哪个成语更能解释现代句子。

    po fu chen zhoudiao yi qing xinbu bu wei ying

Learner Guide

Use these notes when deciding whether this chengyu fits a real sentence.

Dan da xin xi belongs in situations where action is risky but hesitation would also be costly. It can describe a surgeon, rescue worker, negotiator, founder, or student handling a difficult exam strategy. The phrase is not a general compliment for confidence; it praises someone who acts with courage while still checking small details.

Bold but careful is usually the safest English translation. Brave and meticulous works when the sentence focuses on character. Have nerve and pay attention to detail is more conversational. Do not translate only the bold part, because the phrase loses its positive meaning if the careful half disappears.

Separate it from po fu chen zhou before using it. Po fu chen zhou stresses removing retreat in a high-stakes commitment. Dan da xin xi does not require burning bridges; it requires courage under control. A good plan may be dan da xin xi without being no-retreat.

A strong example should show both pressure and checking. If the sentence says the team moved quickly, add what they verified. If it says the doctor operated bravely, add the preparation or precision. Without the second half, the phrase can slide toward reckless praise.

Before using 胆大心细, write the plain English idea first. If the plain sentence already says everything naturally, the chengyu must add a sharper judgment, cultural image, or tone. If it does not add one of those, leave the plain wording alone.

A good 胆大心细 sentence contains an object and evidence. The object is the person, plan, habit, result, or scene being judged. The evidence is the reason the phrase fits. Without both parts, the idiom may look learned but feel empty.

Compare 胆大心细 with 步步为营 and 掉以轻心 before finalizing a sentence. The goal is not to memorize synonyms; the goal is to reject the wrong phrase for a clear reason. That rejection is what turns recognition into usable knowledge.

When teaching or self-reviewing 胆大心细, ask the learner to mark source, meaning, use case, wrong case, and one example. If any mark is missing, return to the entry section that supplies it rather than guessing from the headword alone.

emergency response is the first test zone for 胆大心细, but it is not the only possible use. Before using the phrase, name the speaker, the object being judged, and the nearest tested context: emergency response, negotiation, meaning boundary, usage boundary, misuse boundary, comparison check, context setup, teacher correction. Then choose among bold but careful, brave and meticulous, daring without being careless as translation candidates and reject at least one candidate out loud. A useful final check is to compare the sentence with bu-bu-wei-ying and po-fu-chen-zhou; if one of those nearby entries explains the situation with less strain, the nearby phrase is the better learner choice.

When 胆大心细 is translated as bold but careful, the English should still preserve the phrase's tone. Keep positive and practical and the strategy use area visible when the audience is still learning the idiom. If a short translation hides the warning "Do not use it for reckless bravery. If details are ignored, 掉以轻心 may be closer.", choose a fuller English explanation instead. This matters because the strongest chengyu pages should help readers decide when not to use the most convenient English equivalent.

Example Sentences

Each example labels the situation so you can choose a natural English translation.

emergency response

做急救的人要胆大心细，动作要快，细节也不能错。

Zuo jijiu de ren yao dan da xin xi, dongzuo yao kuai, xijie ye buneng cuo.

People doing emergency response need to be bold but careful: fast in action, accurate in detail.

negotiation

她谈判时胆大心细，敢提条件，也记住了每个细节。

Ta tanpan shi dan da xin xi, gan ti tiaojian, ye jizhu le mei ge xijie.

In negotiation she was bold but careful, daring to state terms while remembering every detail.

meaning boundary

胆大心细不是莽撞，胆大和心细必须同时出现。

Dan da xin xi bushi mangzhuang, dan da he xin xi bixu tongshi chuxian.

胆大心细 is not recklessness; courage and carefulness must appear together.

usage boundary

只有原因和语气都清楚时，这句话才适合用胆大心细。

zhi you yuan yin he yu qi dou qing chu shi zhe ju hua cai shi he yong dan da xin xi

Only use 胆大心细 when the cause and tone are both clear, not just because the topic feels nearby.

misuse boundary

如果只是普通情况，不要为了显得有文化而硬说胆大心细。

ru guo zhi shi pu tong qing kuang bu yao wei le xian de you wen hua er ying shuo dan da xin xi

If the situation is ordinary, do not force 胆大心细 just to make the sentence sound more cultured.

comparison check

比较近义成语以后，再决定这里是不是应该写胆大心细。

bi jiao jin yi cheng yu yi hou zai jue ding zhe li shi bu shi ying gai xie dan da xin xi

After comparing nearby chengyu, decide whether 胆大心细 is really the phrase the sentence needs.

context setup

这段话先说明对象和原因，所以胆大心细读起来不突兀。

zhe duan hua xian shuo ming dui xiang he yuan yin suo yi dan da xin xi du qi lai bu tu wu

The passage names the object and cause first, so 胆大心细 does not feel abrupt.

teacher correction

老师让学生先解释为什么不用别的词，再用胆大心细造句。

lao shi rang xue sheng xian jie shi wei shen me bu yong bie de ci zai yong dan da xin xi zao ju

The teacher asks students to explain why another phrase would be wrong before writing a sentence with 胆大心细.

Story and Cultural Context

胆大心细 is not mainly a plot idiom. It is a compact evaluation of two qualities that often pull in opposite directions. 胆大 gives the courage to move, decide, or enter a difficult situation. 心细 keeps the person from missing the small point that could ruin the action. Modern Chinese uses the phrase for emergency response, negotiation, investigation, entrepreneurship, technical work, and any task where courage without detail becomes dangerous. Dan da xin xi is easiest to learn as a balance test. The first half points to courage, willingness to act, or readiness to face risk. The second half keeps that courage from becoming recklessness by adding attention, calculation, and close checking. Modern Chinese uses the phrase for medicine, policing, engineering, crisis work, entrepreneurship, and difficult personal decisions. English speakers should hear both sides at once. A person who is only brave may be careless; a person who is only careful may never move. The chengyu praises the rare combination of nerve and detail. For this entry, the origin note is only the beginning of the explanation. The useful question is why 胆大心细 survived as a portable judgment rather than as a decorative allusion. The modern usage route gives the reader an image, but the modern sentence must still prove its own fit. A learner should ask three things: what concrete object is being judged, what evidence in the sentence supports that judgment, and what tone the phrase adds that a plain English adjective would not add. This is why the page tests 胆大心细 through emergency response, negotiation, meaning boundary, usage boundary, misuse boundary; each context changes the pressure on the phrase and shows whether the idiom is acting as praise, warning, neutral description, or criticism. The story or usage background also has a translation boundary. 胆大心细 can point toward bold but careful, brave and meticulous, daring without being careless, but those English choices are not interchangeable. One version may preserve the image, another may sound natural in a classroom answer, and another may be safer in a workplace or essay sentence. The entry therefore treats public references as source cards, not as a paragraph order to imitate. Headword checks, story labels, and English equivalents are separated first; only after that are they rebuilt into the learner path used here: answer, label, examples, wrong-use clinic, comparison, story, and practice. The most common failure is overextension. Because 胆大心细 has a memorable surface, learners may reach for it whenever a topic feels close. The better habit is to compare it with 步步为营 and 破釜沉舟 and with 掉以轻心 and 马马虎虎 before writing. If the rejected phrase is hard to reject, the sentence probably has not supplied enough evidence. If the rejected phrase is easy to reject, the learner can explain the boundary and use 胆大心细 with confidence. That is the practical purpose of the origin section: it turns cultural memory into a sentence-level decision instead of leaving the reader with a story and no next action.

Learning point: Good action under pressure needs both nerve and attention.

Editorial Notes

These notes turn the entry into a decision path, not a loose definition.

First answer before details

胆大心细 should first be read as a decision about bold but careful, not as a collectible story label. The usage history helps memory, but the reader's real task is to decide whether the modern sentence is making a positive judgment with enough evidence. Start with the object being described, then ask what happened, who is being judged, and whether the tone is fair. If those details are missing, the idiom will feel like learned decoration rather than useful Chinese. This first-answer rule also helps teachers and translators: they can explain the phrase quickly before deciding whether a longer story, comparison, or correction block is needed.

Example clinic

The examples for 胆大心细 deliberately cover emergency response, negotiation, meaning boundary, usage boundary, misuse boundary because a learner needs more than one successful sentence before the phrase becomes usable. Read the Chinese sentence, then explain in plain English why this phrase is more precise than a simple adjective or loose translation. A strong example names the context, shows the evidence, and makes the tone visible. A weak example merely places the chengyu near a related topic. This habit prevents a common error: remembering the literal image but forgetting the social judgment carried by the phrase. When the example feels forced, return to the meaning line and choose a plainer wording.

Comparison boundary

Before using 胆大心细, compare it with 步步为营 and 破釜沉舟 and, when possible, with 掉以轻心 and 马马虎虎. The comparison is not a synonym game. Nearby chengyu often share effort, caution, wisdom, or evaluation as a topic, while differing in cause, timing, and emotional force. A good learner sentence can explain why the rejected phrase fails. If that explanation is impossible, the chosen idiom is probably too loose. This is also the cleanest internal-link reason: the next page exists because it helps the reader reject a tempting but wrong choice. The comparison should leave a reusable rule, not merely another link to click.

Wrong-use trigger

胆大心细 should be rejected when the sentence lacks an object, hides the reason for the judgment, or uses the idiom only because it sounds literary. The safest correction is to rewrite the sentence in plain English first, then add the chengyu only if it sharpens the meaning. If the tone becomes unfair, choose a gentler nearby phrase. If the source image is memorable but the modern object does not match, use the story only as background and do not force the idiom into the sentence. This wrong-use trigger is what keeps the entry from becoming a long but vague dictionary page.

Source synthesis note

胆大心细 uses public references as checkpoints rather than as a structure to copy. One source may help with the headword, another with a story or image, and another with English translation range. The page then rebuilds those checks into its own learner order: short answer, label, examples, misuse, collocation, guide, story, and practice. This matters because a single-source paraphrase would give readers a familiar-looking article but not a better learning tool. The editorial value here is the decision path: what to use, what not to use, what to compare, and how to test the phrase in a new sentence.

Practice This Decision

Answer a focused quiz question, then come back to the examples and misuse clinic if the near phrase feels tempting.

Start focused quizReview mistakes first