| 端倪 | duān ní | boundary / clue / indication / to obtain clues / to infer |   |
| 蛛丝马迹 | zhū sī mǎ jì | lit. spider's thread and horse track / tiny hints (of a secret) / traces / clue | |
| 端绪 | duān xù | start and development / thread (of a story) / general outline / clue | |
| 头路 | tóu lù | clue / thread (of a story) / mate / first class | |
| 按图索骥 | àn tú suǒ jì | lit. looking for a fine horse using only a picture (idiom) / fig. to do things along rigid, conventional lines / to try and find sth with the help of a clue | |
| 见微知著 | jiàn wēi zhī zhù | one tiny clue reveals the general trend (idiom) / small beginnings show how things will develop | |
| 不可端倪 | bù kě duān ní | impossible to get even an outline (idiom) / unfathomable / not a clue | |
| 筑室道谋 | zhù shì dào móu | lit. ask passers-by how to build one's house (idiom) / fig. to have no idea what to do / without a clue | |
| 视微知著 | shì wēi zhī zhuó | one tiny clue reveals the general trend (idiom) / small beginnings show how things will develop | |
| 视微知着 | shì wēi zhī zhuó | one tiny clue reveals the general trend (idiom) / small beginnings show how things will develop | |
| 老鼠拉龟，无从下手 | lǎo shǔ lā guī , wú cóng xià shǒu | like mice trying to pull a turtle, nowhere to get a hand grip (idiom) / no clue where to start | |
| 一窥端倪 | yī kuī duān ní | to infer easily / to guess at a glance / to get a clue | |
