牵一发而动全身

Traditional: 牽一髮而動全身

qiān yī fà ér dòng quán shēn

Dictionary entry

lit. pulling a single hair makes the whole body move (idiom)

What does 牵一发而动全身 mean?

牵一发而动全身 (qiān yī fà ér dòng quán shēn) has the following dictionary meaning.

1lit. pulling a single hair makes the whole body move (idiom)

2fig. a small change in one part can affect the whole system

Character breakdown

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牵qiānto lead along · to pull (an animal on a tether)一yīone · single 发fāto send out · to show (one's feeling)而érand · as well as 动dòng(of sth) to move · to set in movement 全Quánsurname Quan 身shēnbody · life

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How to pronounce 牵一发而动全身

牵一发而动全身

qiān yī fà ér dòng quán shēn

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