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厚積薄發

简厚积薄发 · 繁厚積薄發

Mandarin · pinyin hòu jī bó fā

lit. to have accumulated knowledge and deliver it slowly (idiom)
good preparation is the key to success
to be well prepared

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Characters in this entry

厚: hòu · thick; substantial; greatly
積: Look up this written character
薄: báo · bó · thin, slight, weak; poor, stingy
發: fā · issue, dispatch, send out, emit
积: jī · accumulate, store up, amass
发: fā · issue, dispatch, send out; hair

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–1–2–1 · hou4 ji1 bo2 fa1

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

厚積薄發 · find source passages ↗ · 厚积薄发 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

hau5 zik1 bok6 faat3

Cantonese word readings for 厚積薄發. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(literally) to gradually acquire knowledge, and make use of it when needed
(figuratively) good preparation is the key to success

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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