秤砣虽小压千斤 chèng tuó suī xiǎo yā qiān jīn

DEFINITIONS

  1. although small, a steelyard weight may tip a hundred pounds (idiom)
  2. apparently insignificant details can have a large impact
  3. for want of a nail the battle was lost

CHARACTERS

秤 chèng
HSK 6
balance, scale, steelyard
砣 tuó a stone roller; a heavy stone, a weight, a plummet
虽 suī
HSK 2
although, even if
小 xiǎo
HSK 1
small, tiny, insignificant
压 yā
HSK 4
press; oppress; crush; pressure
千 qiān
HSK 2
thousand; many, numerous; very; (Cant.) a cheater, swindler
斤 jīn
HSK 3
a catty (approximately 500 g); an axe; keen, shrewd; KangXi radical number 69