一盘散沙

Traditional form:

一盤散沙

Pinyin (reading):

yīpánsǎnshā

Definitions:

• lit. like a sheet of loose sand
• fig. unable to cooperate (idiom)

Characters:

• 一 - one; a, an; alone
• 盘 - tray, plate, dish; to examine
• 散 - to scatter, to disperse, to break up
• 沙 - sand, gravel, pebbles; granulated

Traditional characters:

• 一 - one; a, an; alone
• 盤 - tray, plate, dish; to examine
• 散 - to scatter, to disperse, to break up
• 沙 - sand, gravel, pebbles; granulated