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移山倒海

Mandarin · pinyin yí shān dǎo hǎi

lit. to move mountains and drain seas
to transform nature

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Characters in this entry

移: yí · change place, shift; move about
山: shān · mountain, hill, peak
倒: dào · fall over; lie down; take turns
海: hǎi · sea, ocean; maritime

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

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Mandarin tones

2–1–3–3 · yi2 shan1 dao3 hai3

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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 · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

ji4 saan1 dou2 hoi2

Cantonese word readings for 移山倒海. 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 move mountains and drain seas
(figurative) to be extraordinarily capable

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

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