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集思广益 (jí sī-guǎng yì) — to pool wisdom and benefit from widespread suggestions; to solicit broad input for better outcomes

Definition

A formal chengyu meaning 'pool everyone's ideas to reach a better result' — used in workplaces or planning contexts, not casual chat.

phrase
to pool wisdom and benefit from widespread suggestionsto solicit broad input for better outcomes

Examples

  • ，集思广益，。
    Zài zhì dìng xīn jì huà zhī qián, wǒ men yīng gāi jí sī-guǎng yì, tīng tīng dà jiā de xiǎng fǎ.
    Before making a new plan, we should pool wisdom and listen to everyone's ideas.
  • 集思广益，。
    jí sī-guǎng yì Shì yì zhǒng hěn hǎo de gōng zuò fāng fǎ, néng bì miǎn gè rén piān jiàn.
    Pooling wisdom is a very good working method that can avoid personal bias.
  • 集思广益，。
    Gōng sī gǔ lì yuán gōng jí sī-guǎng yì, yǐ biàn bú duàn gǎi jìn chǎn pǐn.
    The company encourages employees to pool wisdom so that products can be continuously improved.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

集思gather thoughts
集jígather思sīthought
动宾Verb + object
广益broaden benefits
广guǎngbroaden益yìbenefit
动宾Verb + object

集思 and 广益 together mean gather thoughts and broaden benefits.

Characters in this word

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

集 pairs 隹 (bird) with 木 (tree), showing birds on a tree, hence a gathering.

Open 集 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
囟
囟xìn思sī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 思, 心 (heart) points to thinking, while the top part is a changed form of 囟, which supplied the sound.

Open 思 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 廣; 广 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
广广guǎng
Sound part声符shēngfú
黃
黃huáng廣guǎng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 廣 combines 广 (meaning part) with 黃 (sound part); the simplified 广 is a later shorthand, not the full historical shape.

Open 广 →

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

益 puts 水 (water) above 皿 (a vessel), originally showing water overflowing the vessel.

Open 益 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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