Definition
四两拨千斤 is a well-known Chinese idiom that literally means 'four taels deflects a thousand catties' — a tea-cup weight moving a ton by using leverage. It describes the principle of using clever positioning, timing, or technique to achieve a large effect with minimal direct force. The phrase originates from Taiji and martial arts philosophy but is widely used in business, strategy, and everyday problem-solving. You can use it whenever someone wins a big advantage through smart maneuvering rather than brute strength.
id.
to achieve a great outcome with minimal effort through leverageskillor clever tactics
Examples
- ，四两拨千斤，。Zhè pán qí, tā yòng le yì zhāo sì liǎng bō qiān jīn, qīngsōng huòshèng.In this chess game, he used a 'four ounces deflects a thousand pounds' move and won easily.
- ，四两拨千斤。Xiǎo gōngsī xiǎng yǔ dà qǐyè jìngzhēng, jiù yào xuéhuì sì liǎng bō qiān jīn de dàolǐ.Small companies that want to compete with big corporations must learn the principle of 'four taels deflecting a thousand catties'.
- ，四两拨千斤。Tā bān bu dòng nà kuài shítou, jiù yòng sì liǎng bō qiān jīn de fāngfǎ qiào le qǐlái.He couldn't lift that rock, so he used a 'four ounces deflects a thousand pounds' method to pry it up.
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