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能者多勞

简能者多劳 · 繁能者多勞

Mandarin · pinyin néng zhě duō láo

(idiom) it's the most capable people who do the most work (intended as consolation for the overworked, or flattery when making a request etc)

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Characters in this entry

能: néng · to be able; can, permitted to; ability
者: zhě · that which; he who; those who
多: duō · much, many; more than, over
勞: Look up this written character
劳: láo · labor, toil, do manual work

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

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Mandarin tones

2–3–1–2 · neng2 zhe3 duo1 lao2

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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.

能者多勞 · find source passages ↗ · 能者多劳 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

nang4 ze2 do1 lou4

Cantonese word readings for 能者多勞. 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

able men are always busy

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

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