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牵一发而动全身

牽一髮而動全身
qiānyīfàérdòngquánshēn
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 pulling one hair moves the whole body (idiom)
  2. 2 a small change in one part affects the whole system
  3. 3 everything is interconnected

Examples

这个改革牵一发而动全身，必须慎重。
Zhège gǎigé qiānyīfàérdòngquánshēn, bìxū shènzhòng.
This reform affects the entire system — we must proceed carefully.
股市的变动牵一发而动全身。
Gǔshì de biàndòng qiānyīfàérdòngquánshēn.
A change in the stock market ripples through everything.
家庭问题往往牵一发而动全身。
Jiātíng wèntí wǎngwǎng qiānyīfàérdòngquánshēn.
Family problems often have repercussions throughout the whole household.

Tips

history
From Qing-dynasty poet Gong Zizhen's 《自春徂秋偶有所感触》: 一发不可牵，牵之动全身 — one hair cannot be pulled; pull it and the whole body moves. Gong used the image to describe the interconnectedness of political and social problems; it has become the standard phrase for any tightly coupled system.
usage
Seven-character chengyu (most are four). Used as a standalone warning about systemic consequences — reforms, policies, organizational changes. Contrast the English 'butterfly effect,' though this idiom is older and emphasizes causal interconnection rather than chaos.

Stroke Order

牵 qiān
一 yī
发 fā
而 ér
动 dòng
全 quán
身 shēn