患得患失

huàndé-huànshī

idiom #46,803

Meanings

1 to worry about personal gains and losses
2 fretting both over getting something and over losing it
3 preoccupied with selfish interests

Characters

to get, to gain

Examples

HSK 6

做事患得患失，反而什么都做不成。

Zuòshì huàndé-huànshī, fǎn'ér shénme dōu zuò buchéng.

If you fret over every gain and loss, you end up getting nothing done.

HSK 6

他对这个职位患得患失，睡不好觉。

Tā duì zhège zhíwèi huàndé-huànshī, shuì bùhǎo jiào.

He's so anxious about gaining or losing this position that he can't sleep well.

HSK 7-9

谈判时不要患得患失，要看准时机果断出手。

Tánpàn shí búyào huàndé-huànshī, yào kànzhǔn shíjī guǒduàn chūshǒu.

In negotiations, don't fret over every gain and loss - seize the right moment and act decisively.

Tips

history

From the Analects (《论语·阳货》), where Confucius criticizes the 'petty man' (鄙夫): before getting a post he worries about not getting it; once he has it he worries about losing it - and will stop at nothing to keep it. A diagnosis of anxious self-interest.

usage

Pejorative. Describes someone too focused on personal stakes to act clearly. Often paired with 畏首畏尾 (cowering front and back) or 瞻前顾后 (looking before and behind).

Stroke Order

患 huàn

得 de

失 shī