顾此失彼
顾此失彼 (gù cǐ shī bǐ) literally means “attend to this, lose that” and expresses “unable to cover everything at once”. 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
Unable to cover everything at once
Pronunciation: gù cǐ shī bǐ Literal meaning: Attend to this, lose that
Origin & Usage
Attend to (顾) this one (此) and lose (失) that one (彼). The phrase names a specific failure mode rather than general carelessness: not neglect, but the impossibility of covering two things with resources sufficient for one, so that every correction opens a gap somewhere else. It is what you say about a defence stretched along too long a line, a team of three running four projects, or a budget being moved from one shortfall to another. The implication is always that the underlying allocation is wrong.
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
知己知彼
zhī jǐ zhī bǐ
Strategic insight
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乐此不疲
lè cǐ bù pí
Passionate engagement
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多此一举
duō cǐ yī jǔ
Unnecessary action
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举棋不定
jǔ qí bù dìng
Indecisive hesitation
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朝三暮四
zhāo sān mù sì
Fickle and inconsistent
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好高骛远
hào gāo wù yuǎn
Unrealistic aspirations
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脚踏两船
jiǎo tà liǎng chuán
Indecision, double-dealing
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居功自傲
jū gōng zì ào
Conceited about one's own merits
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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 “Unable to cover everything at once”. 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”.