📖 Meaning
The gains do not compensate for the losses; what one gains is not worth what one loses. It describes a situation where the cost or damage outweighs any benefit received.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from a poem by the Song dynasty poet Su Shi (苏轼), titled 'He Zi You Chu Ri Jian Ji' (和子由除日见寄), where he laments the changes of the times and remarks that what is gained does not compensate for what is lost. The phrase later became a common expression used to caution against actions whose costs exceed their rewards. It has been widely cited in Qing dynasty literature, such as Li Baojia's 'Wenming Xiao Shi' (文明小史).
💡 Example Usage
为了省几块钱路费而走了三个小时山路，实在得不偿失。
Walking three hours over mountain roads just to save a few yuan on bus fare is truly a case of the loss outweighing the gain.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 得不偿失
- Pinyin: dé bù cháng shī
- Literal Translation: gain, not, compensate, loss
- Category: Wisdom
- Characters: 4