事半功倍

Chinese

		work	half	achievement	double
simp. and trad. (事半功倍)		事	半	功	倍
anagram		事倍功半

Etymology

From Mencius (《孟子·公孫丑上》):

當今之時，萬乘之國行仁政，民之悅之，猶解倒懸也。故事半古之人，功必倍之，惟此時為然。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

当今之时，万乘之国行仁政，民之悦之，犹解倒悬也。故事半古之人，功必倍之，惟此时为然。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Dāngjīn zhī shí, wànshèng zhī guó xíng rénzhèng, mín zhī yuè zhī, yóu jiě dàoxuán yě. Gù shì bàn gǔ zhī rén, gōng bì bèi zhī, wéi cǐshí wéi rán. [Pinyin]

At the present time, in a country of ten thousand chariots, let benevolent government be put in practice, and the people will be delighted with it, as if they were relieved from hanging by the heels. With half the merit of the ancients, double their achievements is sure to be realized. It is only at this time that such could be the case.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): shìbàn-gōngbèi

(Zhuyin): ㄕˋ ㄅㄢˋ ㄍㄨㄥㄅㄟˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): si⁶ bun³ gung¹ pui⁵
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): sū-pòaⁿ-kong-pōe

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: shìbàn-gōngbèi
  - Zhuyin: ㄕˋ ㄅㄢˋ ㄍㄨㄥㄅㄟˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: shìhbàngongbèi
  - Wade–Giles: shih⁴-pan⁴-kung¹-pei⁴
  - Yale: shr̀-bàn-gūng-bèi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyhbanngongbey
  - Palladius: шибаньгунбэй (šibanʹgunbɛj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ pän⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ peɪ̯⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: si⁶ bun³ gung¹ pui⁵
  - Yale: sih bun gūng púih
  - Cantonese Pinyin: si⁶ bun³ gung¹ pui⁵
  - Guangdong Romanization: xi⁶ bun³ gung¹ pui⁵
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /siː²² puːn³³ kʊŋ⁵⁵ pʰuːi̯¹³/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sū-pòaⁿ-kong-pōe
  - Tâi-lô: sū-puànn-kong-puē
  - Phofsit Daibuun: suxpvoarkongpoe
  - IPA (Xiamen): /su²²⁻²¹ puã²¹⁻⁵³ kɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² pue²²/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /su⁴¹⁻²² puã⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ kɔŋ³³ pue⁴¹/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /su²²⁻²¹ puã²¹⁻⁵³ kɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² pue²²/
  - IPA (Taipei): /su³³⁻¹¹ puã¹¹⁻⁵³ kɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ pue³³/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /su³³⁻²¹ puã²¹⁻⁴¹ kɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ pue³³/

Idiom

事半功倍

to yield twice the result with half the effort

Antonyms

事倍功半 (shìbèi-gōngbàn)