📖 Meaning
To distinguish even the smallest weight with perfect clarity. It is a metaphor for being extremely accurate and precise in judgment or calculation. The '两' refers to a small unit of weight, and the '星' refers to the tiny marks on a steelyard beam indicating weight.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Yuan dynasty play 'Wu Yuan Blows the Flute' (伍员吹箫) by Li Shouqing, in its third act. In the scene, a character declares he will question someone with painstaking precision—splitting two and dividing stars—to get a complete account from beginning to end. The expression thus became associated with discerning even the finest distinctions with absolute clarity.
💡 Example Usage
他对账目擘两分星，从不放过任何一笔差错。
He scrutinized the accounts with exact precision, never overlooking a single discrepancy.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 擘两分星
- Pinyin: bó liǎng fēn xīng
- Literal Translation: split two, divide star
- Category: Clarity
- Characters: 4