顾此失彼
顾此失彼 (gù cǐ shī bǐ) literally means “attend to this, lose that” and expresses “neglect due to distraction”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: gu ci shi bi, gu ci shi bi,顾此失彼 meaning, 顾此失彼 in english
Neglect due to distraction
Pronunciation: gù cǐ shī bǐ Literal meaning: Attend to this, lose that
Origin & Usage
The idiom 顾此失彼 (gù cǐ shī bǐ) originates from the Ming dynasty text 《东周列国志》 by Feng Menglong. It describes a military strategy by Wu Zixu, who divided his army into three groups to attack different targets. The phrase captures the challenge of focusing on one aspect (顾此, attend to this) while neglecting another (失彼, lose that), illustrating the pitfalls of spreading resources too thin. In modern contexts, it is used to describe situations where limited resources lead to oversight or neglect, such as in project management or public policy. This idiom serves as a cautionary reminder to balance attention and resources effectively.
Examples
English: "By focusing too much on minor details, he overlooked the bigger picture and missed the deadline."
Chinese: 他过于关注细节，顾此失彼，最终错过了截止日期。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 顾此失彼 mean in English?
顾此失彼 (gù cǐ shī bǐ) literally translates to “Attend to this, lose that” and is used to express “Neglect due to distraction”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 顾此失彼 used?
Situation: By focusing too much on minor details, he overlooked the bigger picture and missed the deadline.
What is the pinyin for 顾此失彼?
The pinyin pronunciation for 顾此失彼 is “gù cǐ shī bǐ”.