患得患失
huàn dé huàn shī
to fret constantly over personal gain and loss
Character by character
患huàn
worry
worry
得dé
gain
gain
患huàn
worry
worry
失shī
loss
loss
Example
既然已经决定了，就别再患得患失，放手去干吧。
Now that you have decided, stop fretting over what you might win or lose and get on with it.
Tone: negative (criticism).
Usage and origin
From the 《论语》: a petty man worries about getting a thing before he has it, and about losing it once he has it. Used of someone too anxious about gain and loss to act or enjoy anything.
Learn this in Lesson 122 · HSK 7–9: 九二四行情 (Finance news: the September 2024 rally)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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