以小见大

以小見大

yǐxiǎo-jiàndà

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

HSK 4

这件小事以小见大，反映了整个社会的问题。

Zhè jiàn xiǎoshì yǐxiǎo-jiàndà, fǎnyìng le zhěnggè shèhuì de wèntí.

This small incident reveals wider issues in society.

HSK 5

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