治大国若烹小鲜 zhì dà guó ruò pēng xiǎo xiān

DEFINITIONS

  1. ruling a large nation is like cooking a small delicacy (idiom)
  2. effective government requires minimal intervention

CHARACTERS

治 zhì govern, regulate, administer
大 dà big, great, vast, large, high
国 guó nation, country, nation-state
若 ruò if, supposing, assuming; similar
烹 pēng boil, cook; quick fry, stir fry
小 xiǎo small, tiny, insignificant
鲜 xiān fresh; delicious; attractive