多多益善

Chinese

		much; a lot; lots and lots much; a lot; lots and lots; a great deal; more; even more	benefit; increase	good
trad. (多多益善)		多多	益	善
simp. ^#(多多益善)		多多	益	善

Etymology

From a quote by the Han dynasty general Han Xin, recorded in Shiji: Once Emperor Gaozu of Han talks with him about how many soldiers a military officer can command. Han Xin asserted that the emperor can command no more than one million, but when asked about himself, he said:

臣多多而益善耳。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad. and simp.]

From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

Chén duōduō ér yì shàn ěr. [Pinyin]

As for me, the more, the better.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): duōduōyìshàn

(Zhuyin): ㄉㄨㄛㄉㄨㄛㄧˋ ㄕㄢˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): do¹ do¹ jik¹ sin⁶
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): to-to-ek-siān

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: duōduōyìshàn
  - Zhuyin: ㄉㄨㄛㄉㄨㄛㄧˋ ㄕㄢˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: duoduoyìshàn
  - Wade–Giles: to¹-to¹-i⁴-shan⁴
  - Yale: dwō-dwō-yì-shàn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: duoduoyihshann
  - Palladius: додоишань (dodoišanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tu̯ɔ⁵⁵ tu̯ɔ⁵⁵ i⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂän⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: do¹ do¹ jik¹ sin⁶
  - Yale: dō dō yīk sihn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: do¹ do¹ jik⁷ sin⁶
  - Guangdong Romanization: do¹ do¹ yig¹ xin⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɔː⁵⁵ tɔː⁵⁵ jɪk̚⁵ siːn²²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: to-to-ek-siān
  - Tâi-lô: to-to-ik-siān
  - Phofsit Daibuun: doi'doi'eksien
  - IPA (Taipei): /to⁴⁴⁻³³ to⁴⁴⁻³³ iɪk̚³²⁻⁴ siɛn³³/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /tɤ⁴⁴⁻³³ tɤ⁴⁴⁻³³ iɪk̚³²⁻⁴ siɛn³³/

Idiom

多多益善

the more the merrier

Derived terms

韓信點兵，多多益善／韩信点兵，多多益善 (“Han Xin counts his troops, the more the merrier”)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (多多益善):

→ Korean: 다다익선(多多益善) (dadaikseon)

Korean

Hanja in this term
多	多	益	善

Noun

多多益善 • (dadaikseon) (hangeul 다다익선)

hanja form^? of 다다익선 (“the more the merrier”)