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適可而止

简适可而止 · 繁適可而止

Mandarin · pinyin shì kě ér zhǐ

(idiom) to refrain from going too far; to know when to stop

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Characters in this entry

適: Look up this written character
可: kě · may, can, -able; possibly
而: ér · and; and then; and yet; but; Kangxi radical 126
止: zhǐ · stop, halt, desist; detain
适: shì · kuò · go, reach; appropriate, suitable

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

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Mandarin tones

4–3–2–3 · shi4 ke3 er2 zhi3

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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.

適可而止 · find source passages ↗ · 适可而止 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

sik1 ho2 ji4 zi2

Cantonese word readings for 適可而止. 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) to stop when appropriate; not to overdo; enough is enough

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

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