📖 Meaning
A metaphor for something extremely tiny or insignificant. It emphasizes the utter minuteness of an object or amount, often used to describe a meager sum of money or a negligible contribution. The idiom conveys the idea that even the smallest scrap is worth noting.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from Chapter 40 of 'The Scholars' (儒林外史) by Wu Jingzi (吴敬梓) of the Qing Dynasty. In the passage, a son laments that he cannot earn even a thread or half a grain to support his father, yet instead has to squander his father's property, making him feel unworthy to compare himself to others. The phrase vividly uses 'thread' and 'grain of millet' as the smallest conceivable units of cloth and food to represent the most meager of contributions.
💡 Example Usage
他辛苦工作了一年，却连一丝半粟的积蓄都没能留下。
He worked hard for an entire year, yet couldn't save even a single penny.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 一丝半粟
- Pinyin: yī sī bàn sù
- Literal Translation: one thread, half a grain of millet
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4