因陋就簡

简 因陋就简 · 繁 因陋就簡
Mandarin · pinyin yīn lòu jiù jiǎn

Meanings

  1. crude but simple methods (idiom); use whatever methods you can
  2. to do things simply and thriftily
  3. It's not pretty but it works.
Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

因
yīn · cause, reason; by; because (of)
陋
lòu · narrow; crude, coarse; ugly
就
jiù · just, simply; to come, go to; to approach, near
簡
Look up this written character
简
jiǎn · simple, terse, succinct, a letter
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

1–4–4–3 · yin1 lou4 jiu4 jian3

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

4character 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.

因陋就簡 · find source passages ↗ · 因陋就简 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

jan1 lau6 zau6 gaan2

Cantonese word readings for 因陋就簡. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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

因陋就簡 · yin1 lou4 jiu4 jian3
CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG · edition 2026-10-13 · source line 24,103
Original dictionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source & transformation details
Exact source record因陋就簡 因陋就简 [yin1 lou4 jiu4 jian3] /crude but simple methods (idiom); use whatever methods you can/to do things simply and thriftily/It's not pretty but it works./