宁缺毋滥

寧缺毋濫

nìngquē-wúlàn

idiom

Meanings

HSK 5

挑朋友我一向宁缺毋滥。

Tiāo péngyǒu wǒ yīxiàng nìngquēwúlàn.

I've always been picky about friends - rather few than bad ones.

HSK 6

招聘员工要宁缺毋滥。

Zhāopìn yuángōng yào nìngquēwúlàn.

When hiring, better leave a spot empty than fill it with the wrong person.

history

Based on 《左传·襄公二十六年》: 若不幸而过，宁僭不滥 - 'if you must err, better err on the side of strictness than laxity'.

usage

Common in hiring, dating, publishing, and curation contexts. Often paired with 不将就 (won't settle).

宁 níng

缺 quē

毋 wú

滥 làn