諺語 · a single proverb
事半功倍
What does 事半功倍 (shì bàn gōng bèi) mean?
事半功倍 (shì bàn gōng bèi) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "effort half, achievement double." In use it means: Achieve twice the result with half the effort; work smarter by finding the path of least resistance. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rabbit.
Literally: "effort half, achievement double."
The reading
The room that drains you asks for more and more and still stays dim. The room that feeds you asks for almost nothing and somehow holds light all day. The difference is not the hours poured in but the angle the work enters from.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Mencius 孟子, Gongsun Chou I 公孫丑上
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 Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 事半功倍 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 事半功倍 (shì bàn gōng bèi) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Mencius 孟子, Gongsun Chou I 公孫丑上. 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 事半功倍?
In Mandarin it is shì bàn gōng bèi. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 事半功倍 aloud in Mandarin.