网开三面
wǎng​kāi​sān​miàn

to be lenient

  • created sense approved 网开三面/網開三面 · wǎng​kāi​sān​miàn · to be lenient — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    网开三面 / 網開三面

    wǎng​kāi​sān​miàn

    to be lenient

    to leave the net open on three sides; to give a wrongdoer or opponent a way out; to treat an offender with mercy or leniency

    网 (literal) → 网/網 · wǎng · net 开 (literal) → 开/開 · kāi · to open 三 (literal) → 三 · sān · three 面 (literal) → 面 · miàn · side

    Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

    created sense