一本万利 yī běn wàn lì High profit with a small investment

Explanation

一本万利的意思是投入少，利润高，指的是做生意以最少的投入，获得最大的收益。

"High profit with a small investment" means to make a big profit with a small input. It refers to doing business with the least input and getting the greatest return.

Origin Story

战国时期，卫国大商人吕不韦到赵国都城邯郸去做生意，碰到在那里做人质的秦国公子异人。他决定做一次一本万利的政治买卖，就先到秦国讨得华阳夫人的欢心，让她认异人为儿子，帮助异人回国成为秦国国君，从而自己当上秦国的丞相。吕不韦为异人提供钱财，帮助他在秦国广交朋友，积累声望。最终，异人回国，成为秦庄襄王，吕不韦也如愿以偿地成为秦国丞相，实现了“一本万利”的政治目标。

zhàn guó shí qī, wèi guó dà shāng rén lǚ bù wéi dào zhào guó dū chéng hán dān qù zuò shēng yì, pèng dào zài nà lǐ zuò rén zhì de qín guó gōng zǐ yì rén. tā jué dìng zuò yī cì yī běn wàn lì de zhèng zhì mǎi mài, jiù xiān dào qín guó tǎo dé huá yáng fū rén de huān xīn, ràng tā rèn yì rén wéi ér zi, bāng zhù yì rén huí guó chéng wéi qín guó guó jūn, cóng ér zì jǐ dāng shàng qín guó de chéng xiàng. lǚ bù wéi wèi yì rén tí gōng qián cái, bāng zhù tā zài qín guó guǎng jiāo péng yǒu, jī lěi shēng wàng. zuì zhōng, yì rén huí guó, chéng wéi qín zhuāng xiāng wáng, lǚ bù wéi yě rú yuàn yǐ cháng de chéng wéi qín guó chéng xiàng, shí xiàn le "yī běn wàn lì" de zhèng zhì mù biāo.

During the Warring States period, Lü Buwei, a wealthy merchant from the state of Wei, went to Handan, the capital of Zhao, to do business. There he met Prince Yiren of Qin who was being held hostage. He decided to make a political deal that would bring him “high profit with a small investment.” He first went to Qin to win the favor of Lady Huayang, got her to recognize Yiren as her son, and helped Yiren return to his homeland to become the king of Qin, so that he himself could become the prime minister of Qin. Lü Buwei provided Yiren with money and helped him make many friends in Qin and gain a reputation. Finally, Yiren returned to his homeland and became King Zhuangxiang of Qin, and Lü Buwei fulfilled his political dream by becoming the prime minister of Qin, thus achieving the goal of “high profit with a small investment”.

Usage

这个成语常用来形容做生意投入少，利润大的情况。

zhè ge chéng yǔ cháng yòng lái xíng róng zuò shēng yì tóu rù shǎo, lì rùn dà de qíng kuàng.

This idiom is often used to describe a situation where a business has a low input and a high profit.

Examples

  • 他做生意很精明，常能做到一本万利。

    tā zuò shēng yì hěn jīng míng, cháng néng zuò dào yī běn wàn lì.

    He's a shrewd businessman who always manages to make a big profit with a small investment.

  • 这个项目虽然投资不大，但回报率很高，真是“一本万利”的生意。

    zhè ge xiàng mù suī rán tóu zī bù dà, dàn huí bào lǜ hěn gāo, zhēn shì "yī běn wàn lì" de shēng yì.

    This project, though small in investment, has a high return rate, a real "high profit with a small investment" business.

  • 做生意要懂得风险控制，不要贪图“一本万利”，最终得不偿失。

    zuò shēng yì yào dǒng de fēng xiǎn kòng zhì, bù yào tān tú "yī běn wàn lì", zuì zhōng dé bù cháng shī.

    Doing business requires understanding risk control, not to seek "high profit with a small investment", otherwise you will lose more than you gain in the end.

Related Idioms

  • 事半功倍

  • 渔人之利

Opposite Idioms

  • 事倍功半

  • 徒劳无功