📖 Meaning
Originally referring to careful planning and calculation, it later came to describe managing financial affairs. The image is of someone holding counting rods and tallies, keeping accounts with precision. It is used of a person who handles money matters methodically and prudently.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase comes from ‘Qi Fa’ (《七发》) by the Han dynasty writer Mei Sheng (枚乘). In the text, Confucius and Laozi are described as observing the scene, while Mencius holds counting rods and reckons with such accuracy that not one in ten thousand calculations is wrong. The image of someone grasping rods and computing figures became a byword for careful financial management.
💡 Example Usage
他一生持筹握算，把家业打理得井井有条。
All his life he managed the accounts with care, keeping the family business in perfect order.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 持筹握算
- Pinyin: chí chóu wò suàn
- Literal Translation: hold counting rods, grasp and calculate
- Category: Method
- Characters: 4