患得患失 — “To be overly concerned with personal gains and losses”
患得患失 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be overly concerned with personal gains and losses”. Constantly worrying about what one might gain or lose. Literally, “Worry about gaining, worry about losing”.
患得患失 Pronunciation and Pinyin
患得患失 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 患得患失
Origin and Story of 患得患失
During the Spring and Autumn period, Confucius often discussed the principles of human conduct with his students. He said,
'One cannot associate with despicable, vulgar, and lowly individuals. When they haven't obtained power or benefits, they fear not getting them and try every means to acquire them. And when they do get them, they are afraid of losing them. Such people are blinded by greed, always calculate for personal gain, and are capable of committing any wrongdoing.'
Idioms Related to 患得患失
Antonyms of 患得患失
More idioms starting with 患
- huàn患zhì至hū呼tiān天Cry out to heaven when disaster strikes
- huàn患nàn难yǔ与gòng共share hardships and difficulties together
- huàn患nàn难zhī之jiāo交friends in adversity
- huàn患nàn难fū夫qī妻a couple through thick and thin
- huàn患nàn难xiāng相gòng共share hardships and difficulties
- huàn患nàn难xiāng相xù恤Mutually assist in adversity
- huàn患nàn难xiāng相fú扶help each other in adversity
- huàn患nàn难xiāng相sǐ死loyal unto death in adversity
- huàn患nàn难jiàn见zhēn真qíng情Adversity reveals true friendship
- huàn患nàn难jiàn见zhī知jǐ己True friends are revealed in adversity
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Open the tool →Questions about 患得患失
What does 患得患失 mean?
患得患失 (huàn dé huàn shī) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be overly concerned with personal gains and losses”.
How do you pronounce 患得患失?
患得患失 is pronounced huàn dé huàn shī in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 患得患失 literally mean?
Literally, 患得患失 means “Worry about gaining, worry about losing”. It is used to mean “to be overly concerned with personal gains and losses”.
Where does 患得患失 come from?
患得患失 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 患得患失?
患：忧患，担心。担心得不到，得到了又担心失掉。形容对个人得失看得很重。