📖 Meaning
This idiom means losing a greater benefit because of coveting a small gain. It serves as a metaphor for seeking only immediate advantages while neglecting long-term interests. The phrase warns against being short-sighted and greedy.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from 'Lüshi Chunqiu' (《吕氏春秋》), compiled during the Warring States period. The chapter 'Quan Xun' recounts how General Dazi of the state of Qi requested gold from the King of Qi to reward soldiers before a critical battle against Yan, but the king angrily refused, calling Dazi a worthless fellow. Qi suffered a devastating defeat—Dazi was killed in battle and the king fled to Ju. Afterwards, Yan soldiers poured into the Qi capital and fought over the vast gold hoards in the treasury. The king's petty refusal to spend a small amount of gold ultimately cost him his entire kingdom, perfectly illustrating the folly of coveting small gains at the expense of great ones.
💡 Example Usage
为省几块钱买了劣质品，结果没用两天就坏了，真是贪小失大。
He bought a shoddy product to save a few bucks, only for it to break in two days—truly a case of losing big by coveting small.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 贪小失大
- Pinyin: tān xiǎo shī dà
- Literal Translation: covet small, lose big
- Category: Wisdom
- Characters: 4