冰冻三尺 bīngdòngsānchǐ ice three feet deep Origin Definitions Defs Strokes Stroke Words Sentences Sents 冰冻三尺，非一日之寒 bīngdòngsānchǐ, fēiyīrìzhīhán gradual accumulation Three feet of ice does not form in a single day; a situation (often a negative one) develops over a long period of time.