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小算盤

简小算盘 · 繁小算盤

Mandarin · pinyin xiǎo suàn pán

lit. small abacus
fig. selfish calculations
bean-counting

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Characters in this entry

小: xiǎo · small, tiny, insignificant
算: suàn · count, calculate, figure; plan
盤: Look up this written character
盘: pán · tray, plate, dish; examine

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

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Mandarin tones

3–4–2 · xiao3 suan4 pan2

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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.

小算盤 · find source passages ↗ · 小算盘 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

siu2 syun3 pun4

Cantonese word readings for 小算盤. 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.

noun

selfish calculation

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

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