秤砣虽小压千斤

cheng4 tuo2 sui1 xiao3 ya1 qian1 jin1

although small, a steelyard weight may tip a hundred pounds (idiom), apparently insignificant details can have a large impact, for want of a nail the battle was lost

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秤砣虽小压千斤

chèng tuó suī xiǎo yā qiān jīn

The sliding weight of a steelyard, though small in volume, may hold down a thousand catties.

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秤砣雖小壓千斤|秤砣虽小压千斤 [chèng tuó suī xiǎo yā qiān jīn] ► although small, a steelyard weight may tip a hundred pounds (idiom) ► apparently insignificant details can have a large impact ► for want of a nail the battle was lost