本末倒置

běn mò dào zhì

to put the cart before the horse

Character by character

本běn
root

末mò
tip

倒dào
upside down

置zhì
place

为了多挣钱把身体累垮，这不是本末倒置吗？

Wrecking your health to earn more? That's getting your priorities backwards.

Tone: negative (criticism).

倒 is dào (reverse). 本 = the essential, 末 = the trivial.

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