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以微知著
以微知著
以微知著
以微知著
以微知著
以微知著
以微知著
以微知著
以微知著
以微知著

以微知著 — “To infer the significant from the insignificant”

以微知著 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to infer the significant from the insignificant”. To foresee the general trend or essence from subtle clues. Literally, “To know the obvious from the subtle”.

Frequency

以微知著 Pronunciation and Pinyin

  • 以yǐ
  • 微wēi
  • 知zhī
  • 著zhù

以微知著 Character Breakdown

CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
以
yǐ5by means of
微
wēi13tiny, subtle, or slight
知
zhī8to know, be aware, understand
著
zhù13to wear, write, or manifest

Example Sentence with 以微知著

观察一个人的日常习惯,往往能够以微知著,预见他未来的发展。
By observing a person's daily habits, one can often infer their future development, truly seeing the significant from the insignificant.

Idioms Related to 以微知著

Synonyms of 以微知著

  • jǔ举yī一fǎn反sān三infer many from one
  • jiàn见wēi微zhī知zhù著foresee the whole from subtle clues
  • chù触lèi类páng旁tōng通learn by analogy

Antonyms of 以微知著

  • xí习yān焉bù不chá察Accustomed to it, not perceive

More idioms starting with 以

  • yǐ以yī一jǐng儆bǎi百punish one to warn many
  • yǐ以yī一fèng奉bǎi百one producer supports a hundred consumers
  • yǐ以yī一dāng当shí十fight with the strength of ten men
  • yǐ以yī一dāng当bǎi百one person effective as a hundred
  • yǐ以yī一chí持wàn万Grasp key to control the whole
  • yǐ以yī一zhī知wàn万infer many from one
  • yǐ以yī一jǐng警bǎi百punish one to warn many
  • yǐ以yī一yù驭wàn万Control many by grasping the fundamental
  • yǐ以bù不biàn变yìng应wàn万biàn变respond to change with no change
  • yǐ以fǒu不jì济kě可help succeed by negating incorrect ideas
  • yǐ以fēng丰bǔ补qiàn歉save in times of plenty for scarcity
  • yǐ以wéi为kǒu口shí实provide material for criticism

Questions about 以微知著

What does 以微知著 mean?
以微知著 (yǐ wēi zhī zhù) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to infer the significant from the insignificant”.
How do you pronounce 以微知著?
以微知著 is pronounced yǐ wēi zhī zhù in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 以微知著 literally mean?
Literally, 以微知著 means “to know the obvious from the subtle”. It is used to mean “to infer the significant from the insignificant”.
What is the Chinese definition of 以微知著?
微:微小;著:显著。从事物露出的苗头,可以推知它的发展趋向或他的实质。
Copy the pinyin for 以微知著 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.

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