帮倒忙

bāng dào máng

to do more harm than good

他自以为是帮忙，结果帮倒忙了。

He thought he was helping, but he actually made things worse.

◆ What It Really Means

To unintentionally make a situation worse while trying to help.

¶ Literal Meaning

To help in a way that causes trouble.

Literal Breakdown

帮to assist+倒opposite+忙busy (in a negative context)

◇ Mental Image

The mental picture is of someone trying to help but instead creating more problems, like a well-intentioned but clumsy helper who knocks things over while trying to clean up.

◈ When to Use

A friend tries to fix a computer but accidentally deletes important files, making the situation worse.

◉ Cultural Note

This phrase reflects the Chinese cultural value of harmony and the importance of being careful not to cause unintended harm while trying to help others.

informal

To unintentionally make a situation worse while trying to help.

你的建议反而帮倒忙了。

Your suggestion actually made things worse.

他出于好心，但帮倒忙了。

He meant well, but he ended up making things worse.

This phrase is often used to describe situations where someone's attempt to help results in negative consequences.

Collocations

出于好心帮倒忙to mean well but make things worse无意帮倒忙to unintentionally make things worse

Synonyms

弄巧成拙适得其反

Antonyms

帮忙帮助

Related Phrases

弄巧成拙idiom

to try to be clever but end up making things worse

适得其反idiom

to achieve the opposite of what was intended

Pro Tip

Common Usage

This phrase is often used when someone's good intentions lead to negative results.

Gold Rule

Context Matters

Use this phrase when the negative outcome is unintentional and the person genuinely tried to help.

Word Origin

The phrase combines '帮忙' (to help) and '倒忙' (to do the opposite of helping), creating a contrast that highlights the unintended negative outcome.

Usage Notes

This phrase is commonly used in everyday conversations to express frustration or disappointment when someone's help backfires.

Word Breakdown

帮忙

to help

root

倒忙

to do the opposite of helping

root

汉英词典

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