一毛不拔

Chinese

		one; single; a one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)	hair; fur; one tenth of a yuan or dollar	not; no	pull up; pull out; select pull up; pull out; select; promote
trad. (一毛不拔)		一	毛	不	拔
simp. #(一毛不拔)		一	毛	不	拔
Literally: “won't even pull out a single hair (to give someone), playing on the double meaning of 毛 (small unit of currency vs. hair)”.

Etymology

From Mencius's comment about Yangism and Mohism:

孟子曰：「楊子取為我，拔一毛而利天下，不為也。墨子兼愛，摩頂放踵利天下，為之。子莫執中，執中為近之，執中無權，猶執一也。所惡執一者，為其賊道也，舉一而廢百也。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

---

孟子曰：「杨子取为我，拔一毛而利天下，不为也。墨子兼爱，摩顶放踵利天下，为之。子莫执中，执中为近之，执中无权，犹执一也。所恶执一者，为其贼道也，举一而废百也。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

Mèngzǐ yuē: “Yángzǐ qǔ wèi wǒ, bá yī máo ér lì tiānxià, bù wèi yě. Mòzǐ jiān'ài, mó dǐng fàng zhǒng lì tiānxià, wèi zhī. Zǐmò zhí zhōng, zhí zhōng wèi jìn zhī, zhí zhōng wú quán, yóu zhí yī yě. Suǒ è zhí yī zhě, wèi qí zéi dào yě, jǔ yī ér fèi bǎi yě.” [Pinyin]

Mencius said, 'The principle of the philosopher Yang was "Each one for himself." Though he might have benefited the whole kingdom by plucking out a single hair, he would not have done it. The philosopher Mo loves all equally. If by rubbing smooth his whole body from the crown to the heel, he could have benefited the kingdom, he would have done it. Zi Mo holds a medium between these. By holding that medium, he is nearer the right. But by holding it without leaving room for the exigency of circumstances, it becomes like their holding their one point. The reason why I hate that holding to one point is the injury it does to the way of right principle. It takes up one point and disregards a hundred others.'

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yīmáobùbá

  (Zhuyin): ㄧ ㄇㄠˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄅㄚˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jat¹ mou⁴ bat¹ bat⁶

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yīmáobùbá [Phonetic: yìmáobùbá]
    • Zhuyin: ㄧ ㄇㄠˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄅㄚˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yimáobùbá
    • Wade–Giles: i¹-mao²-pu⁴-pa²
    • Yale: yī-máu-bù-bá
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: imaububar
    • Palladius: имаобуба (imaobuba)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ mɑʊ̯³⁵ pu⁵¹ pä³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jat¹ mou⁴ bat¹ bat⁶
    • Yale: yāt mòuh bāt baht
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jat⁷ mou⁴ bat⁷ bat⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yed¹ mou⁴ bed¹ bed⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐt̚⁵ mou̯²¹ pɐt̚⁵ pɐt̚²/

Idiom

一毛不拔

1. very stingy

Derived terms

• 梁新記牙刷——一毛不拔 (loeng⁴ san¹ gei³ ngaa⁴ caat^3-2, jat¹ mou⁴ bat¹ bat⁶) (Cantonese)
• 鐵公雞／铁公鸡 (tiěgōngjī)