Definition & Meaning

the game isn’t worth the candle; the loss outweighs the gain

Word usage

dé bù cháng shī

得 不 偿 失

Level:

HSK6 IP L5 NHSK 789－1

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Chinese dictionary
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derogthe game isn’t worth the candle; the loss outweighs the gain
- bù zuò dé bù cháng shī de huó
  不做得不偿失的活。
  It pays not to do what is not worth doing.
- cǐ shì dé bù cháng shī
  此事得不偿失。
  The loss is not worth the gain.
- zhè yàng zuò dé bù cháng shī
  这样做得不偿失。
  This is not worth the cost.
- dé bù cháng shī de xiāo hào zhàn
  得不偿失的消耗战
  a pyrrhic war of attrition
synonym
shì bèi gōng bàn事倍功半 yīn xiǎo shī dà因小失大 tān xiǎo shī dà贪小失大 suí zhū dàn què隋珠弹雀
antonym
shì bàn gōng bèi事半功倍 yī jǔ liǎng dé一举两得 yī shí èr niǎo一石二鸟 de shī xiāng dāng得失相当

Word usage

Note
"偿" cannot be pronounced as "shǎng" and cannot be written as "赏" or "尝".

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