四两拨千斤

Traditional: 四兩撥千斤

sì liǎng bō qiān jīn

Dictionary entry

(lit.) four ounces can move a thousand catties (idiom)

What does 四两拨千斤 mean?

四两拨千斤 (sì liǎng bō qiān jīn) has the following dictionary meaning.

1(lit.) four ounces can move a thousand catties (idiom)

2(fig.) to achieve much with little effort

Character breakdown

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四sìfour · 4 两liǎngtwo · both 拨bōto push aside with the hand, foot, a stick etc · to dial 千qiānthousand 斤jīncatty · (PRC) weight equal to 500 g

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How to pronounce 四两拨千斤

四两拨千斤

sì liǎng bō qiān jīn

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Base dictionary data: CC-CEDICT · CC BY-SA 4.0.