分身乏术

分身乏術

fēnshēnfáshù

idiom

Meanings

1 unable to be in two places at once
2 stretched too thin
3 unable to attend to multiple things at the same time

Characters

to split / divide

technique / skill

Examples

工作太忙，我实在分身乏术。

Gōngzuò tài máng, wǒ shízài fēnshēnfáshù.

Work is so busy — I genuinely can't be in two places at once.

项目同时进行，经理分身乏术。

Xiàngmù tóngshí jìnxíng, jīnglǐ fēnshēnfáshù.

With multiple projects running at once, the manager is stretched too thin.

Tips

memory

Literally 'lacking the technique to split one's body.' 分身术 ('body-splitting technique') is a classic move from Chinese fantasy and Japanese ninja lore — being 乏 ('lacking') in it means you can't clone yourself, so things have to be done one at a time.

usage

A polite, slightly self-deprecating way to decline overlapping commitments. Common in workplace messages: 'Sorry, I'm 分身乏术 today and can't make the meeting.'

Stroke Order

分 fēn

身 shēn

乏 fá

术 shù