How do you pronounce 贪小失大?

贪小失大 is pronounced tān xiǎo shī dà in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 贪小失大 literally mean?

Literally, 贪小失大 means “covet small, lose big”. It is used to mean “to covet small gains and suffer great losses”.

Where does 贪小失大 come from?

贪小失大 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 贪小失大?

因为贪图小便宜而失掉大的利益。比喻只谋求眼前的好处而不顾长远的利益。

贪小失大 — “To covet small gains and suffer great losses”

贪小失大 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to covet small gains and suffer great losses”. To be penny wise and pound foolish. Literally, “covet small, lose big”.

Frequency

贪小失大 Pronunciation and Pinyin

贪tān
小xiǎo
失shī
大dà

贪小失大 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
贪	tān	8	greedy or covetous
小	xiǎo	3	small, little, young, minor
失	shī	5	lose, miss, or fail
大	dà	3	large, big, great

Example Sentence with 贪小失大

他为了省一点运费，选择了不可靠的物流公司，结果货物损坏，真是贪小失大。

He chose an unreliable logistics company to save a little on shipping fees, which resulted in damaged goods. It was truly coveting small and losing big.

Origin and Story of 贪小失大

During the Warring States period, King Huiwen of Qin desired to annex the wealthy and fertile Shu Kingdom. A clever advisor suggested constructing stone oxen that appeared to excrete golden droppings and sending them as a gift to the Marquis of Shu.

The Marquis of Shu, swayed by the lure of small gains, fell for the trick. He ordered his laborers to clear mountains and fill valleys, constructing a grand road to welcome these auspicious stone oxen.

King Huiwen of Qin seized this opportunity, sending his large army to follow closely behind the procession transporting the stone oxen, effectively conquering the Shu Kingdom.

People mocked the Marquis of Shu, saying he coveted small gains and suffered a great loss.

Idioms Related to 贪小失大

Synonyms of 贪小失大

dé得bù不cháng偿shī失the losses outweigh the gains

Antonyms of 贪小失大

qǐ乞jiāng浆dé得jiǔ酒get more than one asked for

More idioms starting with 贪

Questions about 贪小失大

What does 贪小失大 mean?: 贪小失大 (tān xiǎo shī dà) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to covet small gains and suffer great losses”.
How do you pronounce 贪小失大?: 贪小失大 is pronounced tān xiǎo shī dà in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 贪小失大 literally mean?: Literally, 贪小失大 means “covet small, lose big”. It is used to mean “to covet small gains and suffer great losses”.
Where does 贪小失大 come from?: 贪小失大 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 贪小失大?: 因为贪图小便宜而失掉大的利益。比喻只谋求眼前的好处而不顾长远的利益。

Copy the pinyin for 贪小失大 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.