四两拨千斤 sì liǎng bō qiān jīn

fig. to achieve much with little effort

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency 42618th word

Definitions

  1. 1. fig. to achieve much with little effort
  2. 2. lit. four ounces can move a thousand catties (idiom)

Characters

Character Meaning
四 sì HSK 1
four; 4
两 liǎng HSK 2
two; both; some
拨 bō HSK 6
to dial; to allocate; to set aside (money)
千 qiān HSK 2
thousand; see 秋千qiū qiān
斤 jīn HSK 3
(PRC) weight equal to 500 g; catty