zik1 siu2 sing4 do1積少成多积少成多
Jyutpingzik1 siu2 sing4 do1
Yalejīk síu sìhng dō
Definition
To accumulate small things to form something abundant or great; many a little makes a mickle.
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
Often used to encourage patience when working toward a long term goal, this phrase highlights the power of incremental progress. It is frequently employed in contexts involving saving money, learning skills, or gathering resources. Unlike more formal idioms, it fits naturally into casual advice given to friends or family.
Examples
If you save a little money every day, it will accumulate into a large sum soon.
By accumulating small amounts of experience over time, you can eventually gain a lot.
Related words
Common phrases
the power of accumulation
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
