多多益善

Chinese

		much; a lot; lots and lots much; a lot; lots and lots; a great deal; more; even more	benefit; increase	good
trad. (多多益善)		多多	益	善
simp. #(多多益善)		多多	益	善

Etymology

From a quote by the Han dynasty general Han Xin, recorded in Shiji: Once Emperor Gaozu of Han talks with him about how many soldiers a military officer can command. Han Xin asserted that the emperor can command no more than one million, but when asked about himself, he said:

臣多多而益善耳。 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

Chén duōduō ér yì shàn ěr. [Pinyin]

As for me, the more, the better.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): duōduōyìshàn

  (Zhuyin): ㄉㄨㄛ ㄉㄨㄛ ㄧˋ ㄕㄢˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): do¹ do¹ jik¹ sin⁶
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): to-to-ek-siān

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: duōduōyìshàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄨㄛ ㄉㄨㄛ ㄧˋ ㄕㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: duoduoyìshàn
    • Wade–Giles: to¹-to¹-i⁴-shan⁴
    • Yale: dwō-dwō-yì-shàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: duoduoyihshann
    • Palladius: додоишань (dodoišanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tu̯ɔ⁵⁵ tu̯ɔ⁵⁵ i⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂän⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: do¹ do¹ jik¹ sin⁶
    • Yale: dō dō yīk sihn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: do¹ do¹ jik⁷ sin⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: do¹ do¹ yig¹ xin⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɔː⁵⁵ tɔː⁵⁵ jɪk̚⁵ siːn²²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: to-to-ek-siān
    • Tâi-lô: to-to-ik-siān
    • Phofsit Daibuun: doi'doi'eksien
    • IPA (Taipei): /to⁴⁴⁻³³ to⁴⁴⁻³³ iɪk̚³²⁻⁴ siɛn³³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tɤ⁴⁴⁻³³ tɤ⁴⁴⁻³³ iɪk̚³²⁻⁴ siɛn³³/

Idiom

多多益善

1. the more the merrier

Derived terms

• 韓信點兵，多多益善／韩信点兵，多多益善 (“Han Xin counts his troops, the more the merrier”)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (多多益善):

• → Korean: 다다익선(多多益善) (dadaikseon)

Korean

Hanja in this term
多	多	益	善

Noun

多多益善 • (dadaikseon) (hangeul 다다익선)

1. Hanja form^? of 다다익선 (“the more the merrier”).