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物尽其用 (wù jìn qí yòng) — to make the most of things; to fully utilize resources

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'let each thing serve its full purpose' — i.e., use resources wisely and avoid waste, not just 'use things well'.

idiom
to make the most of thingsto fully utilize resources

Examples

  • 物尽其用，。
    Wǒ men yào xué huì wù jìn qí yòng, bú làng fèi rèn hé zī yuán.
    We should learn to make the most of things and not waste any resources.
  • ，物尽其用，。
    Zài zhè ge xiàng mù zhōng, wǒ men zuò dào le wù jìn qí yòng, yòng zuì shǎo de cái liào wán chéng le rèn wu.
    In this project, we made the most of things, completing the task with the least materials.
  • 物尽其用。
    wù jìn qí yòng Shì yì zhǒng zhí dé tí chàng de shēng huó tài dù.
    Making the most of things is a lifestyle attitude worth promoting.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
牛牛niú
Sound part声符shēngfú
勿
勿wù物wù
Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

Open 物 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 盡; 尽 is its simplified writing.

  • 聿聿yùhand holding a brush
  • 灬灬huǒbristles
  • 皿皿mǐndish

The traditional form 盡 shows 聿 (hand holding a brush) and 灬 (bristles) over 皿 (dish), cleaning a dish until it is empty. The simplified 尽 is a shorthand, not those historical parts.

Open 尽 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The modern form 其 comes from an early drawing of a basket, with a stand added underneath.

Open 其 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

用 was formed by adding a handle to an earlier form.

Open 用 →
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Idioms & Set Phrases

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