成事不足，败事有余

Traditional: 成事不足，敗事有餘

chéng shì bù zú , bài shì yǒu yú

Dictionary entry

unable to accomplish anything but liable to spoil everything (idiom)

What does 成事不足，败事有余 mean?

成事不足，败事有余 (chéng shì bù zú , bài shì yǒu yú) has the following dictionary meaning.

1unable to accomplish anything but liable to spoil everything (idiom)

2unable to do anything right

3never make, but always mar

Character breakdown

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成Chéngsurname Cheng · short name for Chengdu 成都[Cheng2 du1]事shìmatter · thing 不bùno; not so · (bound form) not; un-足jùexcessive 败bàito defeat · to damage 有yǒuto have; there is · (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意[you3 yi4] intentional)余Yúsurname Yu

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How to pronounce 成事不足，败事有余

成事不足，败事有余

chéng shì bù zú , bài shì yǒu yú

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Base dictionary data: CC-CEDICT · CC BY-SA 4.0.