DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

四兩撥千斤

简四两拨千斤 · 繁四兩撥千斤

Mandarin · pinyin sì liǎng bō qiān jīn

(lit.) four ounces can move a thousand catties (idiom)
(fig.) to achieve much with little effort

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

四: sì · four
兩: liǎng · two, both, pair, couple; ounce
撥: Look up this written character
千: qiān · thousand; many, numerous; very; (Cant.) a cheater, swindler
斤: jīn · a catty (approximately 600 g); an axe; keen, shrewd; Kangxi radical 69
两: liǎng · two, both, pair, couple; ounce
拨: bō · move; dispel; distribute

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

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

4–3–1–1–1 · si4 liang3 bo1 qian1 jin1

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

6character links

Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗

Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

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.

四兩撥千斤 · find source passages ↗ · 四两拨千斤 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 2 Cantonese readings

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

sei3 loeng2 but3 cin1 gan1 · sei3 loeng2 but6 cin1 gan1

Cantonese word readings for 四兩撥千斤. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

phrase

(idiomatic) a huge return for a very small investment; a big payoff for a small effort

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

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack