稳步不前

穩步不前
wěnbùbùqián
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to mark time without advancing
  2. 2 to stagnate while appearing steady

Examples

Gōngsī jìn jǐ nián wěnbùbùqián, méiyǒu rènhé chuàngxīn.
The company has been stagnating for the past few years, with no innovation at all.
Rúguǒ zhǐ mǎnzú yú xiànzhuàng, jiù huì wěnbùbùqián.
If you're only satisfied with the status quo, you'll stagnate.

Tips

usage
A play on 稳步前进 ('to advance steadily'). Swapping 前进 for turns a positive phrase into a critique: looks stable on the surface but actually going nowhere. Used about businesses, projects, or careers that are coasting.

Stroke Order

wěn
qián