lit. pulling a single hair makes the whole body move (idiom); fig. a small change in one part can affect the whole system
trad. 牽一髮而動全身
Also written 牽一髮而動全身【qiān yī fà ér dòng quán shēn】
Characters in this word
7牵
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
to lead along, to pull (an animal on a tether), (bound form) to involve, to draw in
- Pinyin
- qiān
- Traditional
- 牽
- Strokes
- 9
- Frequency
- 11800 of 2500
一
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
one, single, a (article), as soon as, entire; whole; all; throughout, "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1), also pr. [yao1] for greater clarity when spelling out numbers digit by digit
- Pinyin
- yī
- Strokes
- 1
- Frequency
- 158 of 2500
发
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
to send out, to show (one's feeling), to issue, to develop, to make a bundle of money, classifier for gunshots (rounds)
- Pinyin
- fā
- Traditional
- 發
- Strokes
- 5
- Frequency
- 2017 of 2500
而
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
and, as well as, and so, but (not), yet (not), (indicates causal relation), (indicates change of state), (indicates contrast)
- Pinyin
- ér
- Strokes
- 6
- Frequency
- 131 of 2500
动
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
(of sth) to move, to set in movement, to displace, to touch, to make use of, to stir (emotions), to alter, abbr. for 動詞|动词[dong4 ci2], verb
- Pinyin
- dòng
- Traditional
- 動
- Strokes
- 6
- Frequency
- 1317 of 2500
全
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
surname Quan
- Pinyin
- Quán
- Strokes
- 6
- Frequency
- 1463 of 2500
身
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
body, life, oneself, personally, one's morality and conduct, the main part of a structure or body, pregnant, classifier for sets of clothes: suit, twinset, Kangxi radical 158
- Pinyin
- shēn
- Strokes
- 7
- Frequency
- 3095 of 2500