偷鸡不成蚀把米 (偷雞不成蝕把米)
tōu jī bù chéng shí bǎ mǐ
Pinyin

Definition

偷鸡不成蚀把米 (偷雞不成蝕把米)
 - 
tōu jī bù chéng shí bǎ mǐ
  1. lit. to try to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice used to lure it (idiom)
  2. fig. to try to gain an advantage only to end up worse off
  3. to go for wool and come back shorn

Related Words (20)

  1. 1 (negative prefix)
  2. 2 not
  3. 3 no
chéng jiù
  1. 1 accomplishment
  2. 2 success
  3. 3 achievement
  4. 4 classifier: 个 gè
  5. 5 to achieve (a result)
  6. 6 to create
  7. 7 to bring about
  1. 1 to hold
  2. 2 to contain
  3. 3 to grasp
  4. 4 to take hold of
  5. 5 handle
  6. 6 particle marking the following noun as a direct object
  7. 7 classifier for objects with handle
  8. 8 classifier for small objects: handful
bù jiǔ
  1. 1 not long (after)
  2. 2 before too long
  3. 3 soon
  4. 4 soon after
bù dàn
  1. 1 not only (... but also...)

Idioms (20)

一不做,二不休
yī bù zuò , èr bù xiū
  1. 1 don't do it, or don't rest (idiom); either give up, or go through to the end
  2. 2 Since we started, we must carry it through whatever happens.
  3. 3 in for a penny, in for a pound
一问三不知
yī wèn sān bù zhī
  1. 1 lit. to reply "don't know" whatever the question (idiom)
  2. 2 fig. absolutely no idea of what's going on
  3. 3 complete ignorance
一尘不染
yī chén bù rǎn
  1. 1 untainted by even a speck of dust (idiom); selfless and incorruptible
  2. 2 spotless
一失足成千古恨
yī shī zú chéng qiān gǔ hèn
  1. 1 a single slip may cause everlasting sorrow (idiom)
一字不提
yī zì bù tí
  1. 1 to not mention a single word (about sth) (idiom)