多多益善
- Literal
- the more, the more beneficial
- Figurative
- The more the better; you can never have too much of a good thing.
Where does 多多益善 come from?
The first Han emperor, Liu Bang, was once chatting with his great general Han Xin about how many troops his officers could command. When he asked how many men he himself could lead, Han Xin said no more than a hundred thousand. “And you?” the emperor asked. Han Xin replied that for him, the more troops the better (多多益善). Liu Bang laughed and asked why, if he was so capable, he was serving under him; Han Xin tactfully answered that the emperor was no good at commanding troops, but excellent at commanding generals.
Source (出处): 《史记·淮阴侯列传》
How is 多多益善 used? Two examples
- 学外语的时候,多听多说,词汇当然是多多益善。
When learning a language, listen and speak a lot; as for vocabulary, the more the better.
- 这次活动的志愿者多多益善,你能来帮忙吗?
For this event, the more volunteers the better. Can you come and help out?