# 积少成多

jī shǎo chéng duō

Small amounts add up

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Accumulate little to become much

**Traditional Chinese:** 積少成多

**Register:** Encouraging · conversational

[Effort & growth](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/effort)

## When to use it

Use for savings, practice, or progress built from small contributions.

It stresses accumulation; the contributions still need to be useful.

## Behind the words

The expression makes accumulation explicit: many small amounts form a larger whole. It is a practical way to describe gradual growth.

The expression describes quantity growing through accumulation of small contributions. It can concern money, materials, time, or completed work. Unlike 水滴石穿, it need not emphasize overcoming resistance: the main idea is addition. To use it precisely, identify the small units and the larger total they gradually create.

## Examples

每天存一点，积少成多，也能攒下一笔钱。

### Traditional Chinese

每天存一點，積少成多，也能攢下一筆錢。

měi tiān cún yì diǎn ， jī shǎo chéng duō ， yě néng zǎn xià yì bǐ qián 。

Save a little every day; small amounts can add up to a useful sum.

每天省下几块钱，积少成多，也是一笔储蓄。

### Traditional Chinese

每天省下幾塊錢，積少成多，也是一筆儲蓄。

měi tiān shěng xià jǐ kuài qián ， jī shǎo chéng duō ， yě shì yì bǐ chǔ xù 。

Saving a few yuan each day eventually adds up to meaningful savings.

大家各捐一本书，积少成多，很快就有了小图书馆。

### Traditional Chinese

大家各捐一本書，積少成多，很快就有了小圖書館。

dà jiā gè juān yì běn shū ， jī shǎo chéng duō ， hěn kuài jiù yǒu le xiǎo tú shū guǎn 。

One donated book from each person soon adds up to a small library.

零碎时间用来复习，积少成多也能学不少东西。

### Traditional Chinese

零碎時間用來復習，積少成多也能學不少東西。

líng suì shí jiān yòng lái fù xí ， jī shǎo chéng duō yě néng xué bù shǎo dōng xī 。

Small periods spent reviewing can add up to substantial learning.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 4, 2026.

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=7300&q=1&webMd=1&la=0)

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E7%A9%8D%E5%B0%91%E6%88%90%E5%A4%9A)

## Keep exploring

- [集腋成裘 jí yè chéng qiú Combine small contributions into a valuable whole ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/ji-ye-cheng-qiu)

- [急于求成 jí yú qiú chéng Be too eager for quick results ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/ji-yu-qiu-cheng)

- [驾轻就熟 jià qīng jiù shú Handle a familiar task with ease ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/jia-qing-jiu-shu)

- [坚持不懈 jiān chí bù xiè Keep going without letting up ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/jian-chi-bu-xie)

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