因小失大

yīn xiǎo shī dà◆idiom

lose the big picture for small gains

为了省几块钱，他选择坐慢车而错过了重要的会议。

To save a few dollars, he took the slow train and missed the important meeting.

◆ What It Really Means

To prioritize minor, short-term gains over major, long-term benefits, resulting in overall loss due to poor judgment or greed.

¶ Literal Meaning

To lose the big thing because of the small thing.

Literal Breakdown

因because of+小small things+失to lose+大big things

◇ Mental Image

Imagine someone so focused on picking up a tiny coin (small gain) that they drop a bag of gold (big loss) they were already holding.

◈ When to Use

A manager refuses to invest in a critical project upgrade to save a small amount of money, only to face major system failures later, costing the company far more.

◉ Cultural Note

This idiom reflects traditional Chinese wisdom on long-term thinking and the dangers of greed, emphasizing the Confucian value of '大局观' (big-picture perspective). It is often cited in proverbial sayings to teach prudence.

formal

to sacrifice major benefits for minor advantages, often due to poor judgment or greed

他因贪图小利而因小失大，错过了升职的机会。

He lost the promotion by being greedy for small profits.

别因小失大，为了几块钱耽误了整个计划。

Don't sacrifice the big picture for a few dollars; it'll ruin the whole plan.

Commonly used in business, personal decision-making, and life advice contexts.

Collocations

因小失大的决定a decision that sacrifices the big picture因小失大的行为an action that loses the major benefit

Synonyms

捡了芝麻丢了西瓜得不偿失

Antonyms

一举两得两全其美

Related Phrases

得不偿失idiom

the gains do not make up for the losses

杀鸡取卵idiom

to kill the hen to get the eggs (short-term gain at long-term cost)

Pro Tip

Memory Hook

Think of '因小失大' as '因(for)小(small)失(lose)大(big)' — focusing on small things causes you to lose big things.

Gold Rule

When to Use

Use this idiom when someone makes a decision that prioritizes minor benefits over major ones, leading to overall loss. It’s a warning against greed or shortsightedness.

Word Origin

Originates from the Warring States period text 'Han Feizi' (《韩非子》), illustrating the folly of prioritizing trivial gains over substantial losses.

Usage Notes

Typically used to criticize shortsighted decisions or actions. Often appears in advice or warnings about prioritization.

Word Breakdown

因

because of / due to

preposition

小

small / trivial

adjective

失

to lose / to miss

verb

大

big / major

adjective

汉英词典

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