八字没一撇

1. • lit. there is not even the first stroke of the character 八 bā (idiom)
2. • fig. things have not even begun to take shape
3. • no sign of success yet

Character by character

• 八(bā)eight
• 字(zì)letter
• 没(méi)not
• 一(yī)one
• 撇(piě)throw