諺語 · a single proverb
薄利多銷
Simplified: 薄利多销
What does 薄利多銷 (báo lì duō xiāo) mean?
薄利多銷 (báo lì duō xiāo) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "Thin profit, many sales." In use it means: Keep margins slim to attract volume. A small profit on each item, multiplied across many customers, yields greater total wealth than gouging the few. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rat.
Literally: "Thin profit, many sales.."
The reading
Greed narrows the stream of commerce while generosity widens it. The seller who offers a fair price builds a crowd at the door. Volume sustains a business through lean times when high-margin luxury falters. This is arithmetic dressed as philosophy, and it has kept family shops alive for centuries. The humble coin, repeated a thousand times, builds a fortune.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common Chinese commercial maxim, especially associated with Wenzhou merchants (温州商人)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wealth, Work & Diligence, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 薄利多銷 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 薄利多銷 (báo lì duō xiāo) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Common Chinese commercial maxim, especially associated with Wenzhou merchants (温州商人). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 薄利多銷?
In Mandarin it is báo lì duō xiāo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 薄利多銷 aloud in Mandarin.