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探囊取物

Mandarin · pinyin tàn náng qǔ wù

to feel in one's pocket and take sth (idiom); as easy as pie
in the bag

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Characters in this entry

探: tàn · find, locate; search, grope for
囊: náng · bag, purse, sack; put in bag
取: qǔ · take, receive, obtain; select
物: wù · thing, substance, creature

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

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Mandarin tones

4–2–3–4 · tan4 nang2 qu3 wu4

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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.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

taam3 nong4 ceoi2 mat6

Cantonese word readings for 探囊取物. 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

(idiomatic) within one's grasp; extremely easy; like taking candy from a baby

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

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