諺語 · a single proverb
一以當萬
Simplified: 一以当万
What does 一以當萬 (yī yǐ dāng wàn) mean?
一以當萬 (yī yǐ dāng wàn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "one person equals ten thousand." In use it means: One exceptional person or principle can handle what ten thousand cannot; quality over quantity. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Tiger.
Literally: "one person equals ten thousand."
The reading
The single right answer cuts through ten thousand wrong ones as though they were not there. What is truly superior does not need to overpower; it needs only to be clearly itself in the presence of everything else. The one who truly understands the matter does not need ten thousand allies to be heard.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Shi Ji 史記·項羽本紀 (Xiàng Yǔ biography)
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 Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 一以當萬 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一以當萬 (yī yǐ dāng wàn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Shi Ji 史記·項羽本紀 (Xiàng Yǔ biography). 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 一以當萬?
In Mandarin it is yī yǐ dāng wàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一以當萬 aloud in Mandarin.