半途而废

半途而廢

bàntúérfèi

idiom HSK 7 #13,642

Meanings

1 to give up halfway
2 to leave something unfinished

Characters

to waste; to abandon

Examples

做事不能半途而废。

Zuòshì bù néng bàntúérfèi.

You can't give up halfway when doing things.

他学了两年钢琴就半途而废了。

Tā xué le liǎng nián gāngqín jiù bàntúérfèi le.

He studied piano for two years and then gave up.

Tips

usage

半途而废 is almost always used negatively, as a warning or criticism. The opposite sentiment is 坚持到底 (jiānchí dàodǐ, persist to the end).

Stroke Order

半 bàn

途 tú

而 ér

废 fèi