急于求成

Pronunciation: jí yú qiú chéng Literal meaning: Anxious to achieve success

Origin & Usage

This idiom describes being anxious (急) about (于) seeking (求) success (成). It warns against impatience that undermines careful progress. The phrase cautions that rushing toward goals often backfires. Modern usage criticizes the desire for quick results at the expense of proper process, the counterproductive impatience that sacrifices quality for speed.

Examples

English: "His impatience for quick results led to poor decisions."

Chinese: 他急于求成导致了糟糕的决定。