分身乏术

分身乏術

fēnshēn-fáshù

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

HSK 2

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.

HSK 4

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