hou4 lei4毫釐毫厘

Jyutpinghou4 lei4

Yalehòuh lèih

Definition

Extremely small amount; tiny or minute details.

writtendescriptions

How it's used

Often used in the four character idiom 差之毫釐，謬以千里 to warn that even a minuscule deviation at the beginning of a process can result in a massive discrepancy by the end. It functions more like a formal or literary descriptor for tiny measurements rather than a casual word for small things like 細 or 碎.

Examples

loeng5兩ze2者soeng1相caa1差hou4毫lei4釐，hou2好naan4難fan1分dak1得cing1清co2楚。

The two are only a hair's breadth apart, it is hard to tell them apart.

caa1差zi1之hou4毫lei4釐，mau6謬ji5以cin1千lei5里aa4呀。

A tiny error at the start can lead to a huge mistake later.

Common phrases

caa1差zi1之hou4毫lei4釐

a hair's breadth difference

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a common adjective for small objects, but it is strictly reserved for precise measurements or abstract differences in scale or accuracy.