差以毫厘，谬以千里 — “A difference of a hair's breadth leads to an error of a thousand li”
差以毫厘，谬以千里 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a minimal error or slight deviation at the beginning can lead to a significant divergence or serious mistake in the outcome”. Literally, “A difference of a hair's breadth leads to an error of a thousand li”.
差以毫厘，谬以千里 Pronunciation and Pinyin
差以毫厘，谬以千里 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 差以毫厘，谬以千里
Origin and Story of 差以毫厘，谬以千里
During the Western Han Dynasty, Zhao Chunguo was ordered by Emperor Xuan of Han to suppress a rebellion in the northwestern regions. Observing that the rebel forces were disunited, he adopted a strategy of conciliation, which led most of the rebels to surrender.
However, Emperor Xuan then ordered him to launch a military attack, which resulted in an unfavorable outcome.
Later, when he collected military provisions according to the emperor's command, it inadvertently triggered another rebellion. Zhao Chunguo sighed and remarked, "Indeed, a miss by a hair's breadth can lead to a divergence of a thousand li!"
Idioms Related to 差以毫厘，谬以千里
Synonyms of 差以毫厘，谬以千里
More idioms starting with 差
- chā差sān三cuò错sì四full of errors and disorganized
- chā差zhī之háo毫lí厘，，shī失zhī之qiān千lǐ里A small error leads to a huge mistake
- chā差zhī之háo毫lí厘，，miù谬yǐ以qiān千lǐ里A small error leads to a huge mistake
- chà差yǐ以háo毫lí厘，，shī失zhī之qiān千lǐ里A small error leads to a huge mistake
- chā差qiáng强rén人yì意barely satisfactory
- chà差ruò若tiān天yuān渊a world of difference
- chà差ruò若háo毫lí厘，，miù谬yǐ以qiān千lǐ里A tiny error leads to a huge mistake
- chà差zú足zì自xǐ喜barely sufficient for self-satisfaction
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Open the tool →Questions about 差以毫厘，谬以千里
What does 差以毫厘，谬以千里 mean?
差以毫厘，谬以千里 (chà yǐ háo lí ， miù yǐ qiān lǐ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a minimal error or slight deviation at the beginning can lead to a significant divergence or serious mistake in the outcome”.
How do you pronounce 差以毫厘，谬以千里?
差以毫厘，谬以千里 is pronounced chà yǐ háo lí ， miù yǐ qiān lǐ in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 差以毫厘，谬以千里 literally mean?
Literally, 差以毫厘，谬以千里 means “a difference of a hair's breadth leads to an error of a thousand li”. It is used to mean “a minimal error or slight deviation at the beginning can lead to a significant divergence or serious mistake in the outcome”.
Where does 差以毫厘，谬以千里 come from?
差以毫厘，谬以千里 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 差以毫厘，谬以千里?
差：相差；毫厘：很小的计量单位；谬：同“缪”。开始时相差很微小，结果会造成很大的错误。