得不偿失

• 拼音: dé bù cháng shī
• 汉字拆解: 得 = 彳 + 旦 + 寸 (to obtain, gain); 偿 = 亻 + 赏 (to compensate, repay); 失 = hand losing grip (to lose)

含义

The gain does not compensate for the loss; not worth the effort or sacrifice. A four-character idiom describing situations where the cost or harm clearly outweighs any benefit.

A very common chengyu used to evaluate decisions, strategies, or trade-offs. Applicable in business, personal decisions, policy debates, and everyday advice. Implies a poor cost-benefit ratio and serves as a concise way to caution against a course of action.

例句

1. 为了省几块钱而花数小时排队，这样做实在得不偿失。
2. 牺牲健康去换取短暂的财富，这种做法完全是得不偿失。
3. 专家指出，该政策的副作用远大于其收益，可谓得不偿失。

用法指南

语境: decision-making, business, advice, policy

语气: evaluative

正确说法

• 这样做得不偿失。(Doing it this way isn't worth the cost.)
• 长远来看，这是得不偿失的。(In the long run, the cost outweighs the gain.)

错误说法

• 我得不偿失了 as if it were a personal verb — use 这对我来说得不偿失 or 我这样做得不偿失 to complete the predicate structure

起源与历史

得 (to gain) + 不 (not) + 偿 (to compensate, repay) + 失 (loss). Meaning the gains do not make up for what was lost.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal