以小见大

以小見大

yǐxiǎojiàndà

idiom #80,770

Meanings

1 to see the big picture through small details
2 to infer the whole from a part

Characters

to see, perceive

Examples

这件小事以小见大，反映了整个社会的问题。

Zhè jiàn xiǎo shì yǐxiǎo jiàndà, fǎnyìng le zhěnggè shèhuì de wèntí.

This small incident reveals wider issues in society.

好的散文常常能以小见大。

Hǎo de sǎnwén chángcháng néng yǐxiǎo jiàndà.

Good essays often use the small to illuminate the large.

Tips

usage

Common in literary criticism and journalism — praises a piece that uses a concrete detail to expose a bigger truth. Compare 见微知著, which emphasizes foresight.

Stroke Order

以 yǐ

小 xiǎo

见 jiàn

大 dà