諺語 · a single proverb
寸進尺退
Simplified: 寸进尺退
What does 寸進尺退 (cùn jìn chǐ tuì) mean?
寸進尺退 (cùn jìn chǐ tuì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "inch forward, foot back." In use it means: Gain an inch and lose a foot; small gains don't compensate for larger losses. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rat.
Literally: "inch forward, foot back."
The reading
Some arrangements look like progress because something moved forward, and the thing that moved backward was not measured. The wise keep accounts of both columns, the gained and the given away, because the net sum is the only true number. Partial scorecards lead to confident losers.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Zhanguo Ce 戰國策 (Zhàn Guó Cè, Strategies of the Warring States)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 寸進尺退 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 寸進尺退 (cùn jìn chǐ tuì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Zhanguo Ce 戰國策 (Zhàn Guó Cè, Strategies of the Warring States). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 寸進尺退?
In Mandarin it is cùn jìn chǐ tuì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 寸進尺退 aloud in Mandarin.