過猶不及

Chinese

		to cross; to go over; (experienced action marker) to cross; to go over; (experienced action marker); to pass; to celebrate; to live; to get along; excessively; too-	as if; still	to not do something in time; to be too late; to not reach
trad. (過猶不及)		過	猶	不及
simp. (过犹不及)		过	犹	不及

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 11 (《論語·先進》):

子貢問：「師與商也孰賢？」子曰：「師也過，商也不及。」曰：「然則師愈與？」子曰：「過猶不及。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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子贡问：「师与商也孰贤？」子曰：「师也过，商也不及。」曰：「然则师愈与？」子曰：「过犹不及。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Zǐgòng wèn: “Shī yǔ Shāng yě shú xián?” Zǐyuē: “Shī yě guò, Shāng yě bùjí.” Yuē: “Ránzé Shī yù yú?” Zǐyuē: “Guò yóu bùjí.” [Pinyin]

Zigong asked which of the two, Shi or Shang, was the superior. The Master said, "Shi goes beyond the due mean, and Shang does not come up to it." "Then," said Zigong, "the superiority is with Shi, I suppose." The Master said, "To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short."

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): guòyóubùjí

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄧㄡˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gwo³ jau⁴ bat¹ kap⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: guòyóubùjí
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄧㄡˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: guòyóubùjí
    • Wade–Giles: kuo⁴-yu²-pu⁴-chi²
    • Yale: gwò-yóu-bù-jí
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: guohyoubujyi
    • Palladius: гоюбуцзи (gojubuczi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ku̯ɔ⁵¹ joʊ̯³⁵ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕi³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: gwo³ jau⁴ bat¹ kap⁶
    • Yale: gwo yàuh bāt kahp
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gwo³ jau⁴ bat⁷ kap⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: guo³ yeo⁴ bed¹ keb⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʷɔː³³ jɐu̯²¹ pɐt̚⁵ kʰɐp̚²/

Idiom

過猶不及

1. doing too much is just as bad as not doing enough

Related terms

• 矯枉過正／矫枉过正 (jiǎowǎngguòzhèng)