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The benefits or positive outcomes are greater than the drawbacks or negative outcomes in a given situation.
在评估新政策时，我们必须权衡弊小于利的因素。
When evaluating new policies, we must weigh the factors where the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
尽管有额外的成本，但弊小于利，因此我们决定投资这个项目。
Despite the additional costs, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, so we decided to invest in this project.
Often used in decision-making contexts to justify a choice despite potential downsides.
Use '弊小于利' when discussing trade-offs where the benefits are slightly greater than the drawbacks. For significantly greater advantages, use '利大于弊'.
Do not translate '弊小于利' word-for-word as 'disadvantages are less than advantages.' Instead, use the idiomatic English phrase 'the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.'
The phrase is composed of three Chinese characters: 弊 (bì, 'disadvantage'), 小于 (xiǎo yú, 'less than'), and 利 (lì, 'advantage'). It reflects a traditional Chinese concept of balancing negative and positive outcomes in decision-making.
This phrase is commonly used in formal or analytical contexts, such as business, policy-making, or personal decision-making. It emphasizes a rational approach to evaluating trade-offs.