過猶不及

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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) 不及
simp. (过犹不及) 不及

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 11 (《論語·先進》):

子貢:「師?」子曰:「師,商不及。」:「然則?」子曰:「過猶不及。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
子贡:「师?」子曰:「师,商不及。」:「然则?」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.”
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


Idiom

過猶不及

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

Descendants