yīn xiǎo shī dà: 因小失大 - To Lose the Big for the Small; Penny Wise and Pound Foolish

• Keywords: 因小失大, yin xiao shi da, Chinese idiom for bad trade-offs, penny wise pound foolish in Chinese, lose the forest for the trees, Chinese proverb about short-sightedness, suffer a big loss for a small gain, Chinese business wisdom.
• Summary: 因小失大 (yīn xiǎo shī dà) is a fundamental Chinese idiom (Chengyu) that warns against short-sightedness. It perfectly translates to the English concept of being “penny wise and pound foolish,” describing any situation where someone pursues a small, immediate benefit, only to suffer a much greater, long-term loss as a result. This timeless wisdom is frequently used in China to criticize poor strategic decisions in business, personal life, and governance, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing long-term goals over trivial gains.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): yīn xiǎo shī dà
• Part of Speech: Idiom (成语, chéngyǔ)
• HSK Level: HSK 6
• Concise Definition: To suffer a great loss because of a small gain.
• In a Nutshell: Imagine trading a winning lottery ticket for a candy bar. That's the feeling of 因小失大. This idiom captures the folly of a bad trade-off, where an intense focus on a minor, often immediate, advantage completely blinds you to the much larger, more significant loss you're incurring. It's a classic warning against greed, impatience, and a lack of foresight.

• 因 (yīn): Because of; due to; for the reason of.
• 小 (xiǎo): Small; minor; insignificant.
• 失 (shī): To lose; to miss out on.
• 大 (dà): Big; large; great; important.

These characters combine quite literally and elegantly: “Because of (the) small, (one) loses (the) big.” This straightforward structure makes the idiom's meaning transparent once you understand the individual characters.

The idiom 因小失大 is deeply embedded in Chinese strategic thinking, which often values patience, long-term planning, and a holistic view of any situation (大局观, dàjúguān). It serves as a cultural reminder that the most obvious or immediate reward is not always the best one. While “penny wise and pound foolish” is a very close Western equivalent, there's a subtle distinction. The English phrase often carries a connotation of being cheap or stingy—for example, buying cheap shoes that quickly fall apart. 因小失大, however, is broader and more strategic. It can apply to military tactics, diplomatic negotiations, career choices, and personal relationships where no money is involved. It's less about frugality and more about a fundamental flaw in prioritization and judgment. It criticizes not just the *action*, but the *mindset* that fails to see the bigger picture.

因小失大 is a common and versatile idiom used by everyone from government officials in speeches to parents scolding their children. It almost always carries a negative connotation of criticism or warning.

• In Business: It's frequently used to criticize companies that cut R&D or employee training (a small, short-term saving) to boost quarterly profits, only to lose their competitive edge later (a huge, long-term loss).
• In Daily Conversation: It can describe someone who ruins a friendship over a petty argument or someone who skips a doctor's appointment to avoid a small fee, only to face a major health crisis later.
• On Social Media: Netizens might use it to comment on news stories where a person or company made a foolish decision, for example, a celebrity who dodges a small amount of tax and ends up destroying their entire career.

• Example 1:
  • 为了省一点钱而买劣质材料，最后导致整个工程失败，真是因小失大。
  • Pinyin: Wèile shěng yīdiǎn qián ér mǎi lièzhì cáiliào, zuìhòu dǎozhì zhěnggè gōngchéng shībài, zhēnshi yīn xiǎo shī dà.
  • English: Buying inferior materials just to save a little money ultimately caused the entire project to fail. That's a classic case of being penny wise and pound foolish.
  • Analysis: This is a textbook example used in a business or engineering context. The “small gain” is saving money; the “big loss” is the failed project.
• Example 2:
  • 你如果为了多玩一会儿游戏而不好好复习，考试不及格，那就是因小失大了。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ rúguǒ wèile duō wán yīhuǐ'r yóuxì ér bù hǎohǎo fùxí, kǎoshì bù jígé, nà jiùshì yīn xiǎo shī dà le.
  • English: If you don't review properly just to play games a little longer and then fail the exam, you'll be sacrificing the important for the trivial.
  • Analysis: A common scenario where a parent or teacher advises a student. The small pleasure of gaming leads to the significant loss of a passing grade.
• Example 3:
  • 公司决定裁掉客服部门来降低成本，结果客户满意度暴跌，订单也减少了，这完全是因小失大的决策。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī juédìng cái diào kèfù bùmén lái jiàngdī chéngběn, jiéguǒ kèhù mǎnyì dù bàodiē, dìngdān yě jiǎnshǎole, zhè wánquán shì yīn xiǎo shī dà de juécè.
  • English: The company decided to cut the customer service department to reduce costs, but as a result, customer satisfaction plummeted and orders decreased. This was a completely short-sighted decision.
  • Analysis: This shows how the idiom can be used to describe a poor strategic business decision. The “small” cost-saving led to a “big” loss in revenue.
• Example 4:
  • 为了一个停车位和邻居吵架，把关系搞僵，太因小失大了。
  • Pinyin: Wèile yīgè tíngchē wèi hé línjū chǎojià, bǎ guānxì gǎo jiāng, tài yīn xiǎo shī dà le.
  • English: Arguing with a neighbor over a parking spot and ruining the relationship is totally not worth it; it's a perfect example of losing the big for the small.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the idiom's use in interpersonal relationships. Winning a trivial argument (small gain) is not worth damaging long-term harmony (big loss).
• Example 5:
  • 有些人为了逃避一点点税款而做假账，一旦被发现，不仅要面临巨额罚款，还会毁掉自己的声誉，实在是因小失大。
  • Pinyin: Yǒuxiē rén wèile táobì yīdiǎndiǎn shuìkuǎn ér zuò jiǎzhàng, yīdàn bèi fāxiàn, bùjǐn yào miànlín jù'é fákuǎn, hái huì huǐ diào zìjǐ de shēngyù, shízài shì yīn xiǎo shī dà.
  • English: Some people falsify accounts to evade a small amount of tax. Once discovered, they not only face huge fines but also ruin their reputation. It's truly a case of being penny wise and pound foolish.
  • Analysis: A common cautionary tale in a legal or financial context. The small gain of evaded taxes is dwarfed by the potential loss of money and reputation.
• Example 6:
  • 他放弃了一个有发展前景的好工作，只是因为新公司的工资高一点点。朋友们都说他因小失大。
  • Pinyin: Tā fàngqìle yīgè yǒu fāzhǎn qiánjǐng de hǎo gōngzuò, zhǐshì yīnwèi xīn gōngsī de gōngzī gāo yīdiǎndiǎn. Péngyǒumen dōu shuō tā yīn xiǎo shī dà.
  • English: He gave up a good job with great development prospects just because the new company's salary was slightly higher. His friends all said he was being short-sighted.
  • Analysis: This shows the idiom applied to major life choices. The “small gain” is a minor salary increase, while the “big loss” is long-term career potential.
• Example 7:
  • 政府不应该为了短期的经济增长而牺牲环境，这种因小失大的行为会给子孙后代带来无穷的麻烦。
  • Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ bù yìng gāi wèile duǎnqí de jīngjì zēngzhǎng ér xīshēng huánjìng, zhè zhǒng yīn xiǎo shī dà de xíngwéi huì gěi zǐsūn hòudài dài lái wúqióng de máfan.
  • English: The government should not sacrifice the environment for short-term economic growth. This kind of short-sighted behavior will bring endless trouble for future generations.
  • Analysis: This applies the concept to a societal or political level, highlighting the trade-off between immediate economic data and long-term environmental health.
• Example 8:
  • 你现在不注意身体，老是熬夜，虽然多了一些娱乐时间，但以后健康出了问题，就得不偿失，是典型的因小失大。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xiànzài bù zhùyì shēntǐ, lǎo shì áoyè, suīrán duōle yīxiē yúlè shíjiān, dàn yǐhòu jiànkāng chūle wèntí, jiù débùchángshī, shì diǎnxíng de yīn xiǎo shī dà.
  • English: You're ignoring your health and always staying up late now. Although you get more entertainment time, if your health suffers later, the loss will outweigh the gain—a typical case of losing the plot for a small pleasure.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses 因小失大 in the context of personal health, a very common application. It also includes the related term 得不偿失 (dé bù cháng shī).
• Example 9:
  • 贪小便宜吃大亏，说的就是因小失大的道理。
  • Pinyin: Tān xiǎo piányí chī dàkuī, shuō de jiùshì yīn xiǎo shī dà de dàolǐ.
  • English: The saying “being greedy for small advantages leads to suffering big losses” explains the principle of “yīn xiǎo shī dà”.
  • Analysis: This sentence directly explains a more colloquial saying (贪小便宜吃大亏) by relating it to the more formal idiom 因小失大.
• Example 10:
  • 在谈判中，我们不能在关键原则上让步，否则就是因小失大，即使我们得到了一些小的利益。
  • Pinyin: Zài tánpàn zhōng, wǒmen bùnéng zài guānjiàn yuánzé shàng ràngbù, fǒuzé jiùshì yīn xiǎo shī dà, jíshǐ wǒmen dédàole yīxiē xiǎo de lìyì.
  • English: In negotiations, we cannot compromise on key principles, otherwise we would be sacrificing the greater good for a small gain, even if we receive some minor benefits.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates a more formal, strategic use of the idiom in a context like business or diplomacy.

• Not Just Any Mistake: A common pitfall is to use 因小失大 to describe any bad decision or loss. This idiom is specific: it applies *only* when a small gain is actively pursued, which then causes a larger loss. If there's no “small gain” involved, the idiom is incorrect.
  • Incorrect: 我把钥匙弄丢了，真是因小失大。 (Wǒ bǎ yàoshi nòng diūle, zhēnshi yīn xiǎo shī dà.) - “I lost my keys, it's a real case of 'yin xiao shi da'.” → This is wrong because losing keys is simply a loss; you didn't gain anything small in the process.
  • Correct: 我为了赶时间抄近路，结果路况很差车坏了，真是因小失大。 (Wǒ wèile gǎn shíjiān chāo jìn lù, jiéguǒ lùkuàng hěn chà chē huàile, zhēnshi yīn xiǎo shī dà.) - “To save time I took a shortcut, but the road was terrible and my car broke down. A classic case of 'yin xiao shi da'.” → Here, the “small gain” was saving time, and the “big loss” was the broken car.

• 得不偿失 (dé bù cháng shī) - The gain does not make up for the loss. A very close synonym that focuses on the negative net outcome of an action.
• 杀鸡取卵 (shā jī qǔ luǎn) - To kill the chicken to get the egg. A vivid metaphor for destroying a valuable, long-term resource for a single, short-term gain. It's a more extreme and destructive form of 因小失大.
• 鼠目寸光 (shǔ mù cùn guāng) - Rat eyes see but an inch. A derogatory idiom describing a person who is extremely short-sighted and lacks vision. A person with this quality is likely to 因小失大.
• 捡了芝麻，丢了西瓜 (jiǎn le zhīma, diū le xīguā) - To pick up a sesame seed but drop a watermelon. A popular and colloquial saying (俗语, súyǔ) that has the exact same meaning as 因小失大 but is more informal and graphic.
• 顾此失彼 (gù cǐ shī bǐ) - To attend to one thing and lose another. Describes being unable to manage multiple priorities at once, which often leads to a situation of 因小失大.
• 大局观 (dàjúguān) - The “big picture” perspective; an overall strategic view. This is the quality that prevents one from making the mistake of 因小失大. Someone with a strong 大局观 can properly weigh small benefits against large risks.