得不偿失

dé bù cháng shī

HSK 7–9

Meaning

所得的利益抵偿不了所受的损失。

The gain cannot compensate for the loss; not worth the effort.

用于形容做某事虽然得到一些好处，但损失更大，不值得。

Used to describe a situation where the benefits obtained are outweighed by the losses, making it not worthwhile.

1 为了省钱买便宜货，结果质量差又得重买，真是得不偿失。 (To save money by buying cheap goods, but the quality is poor and you have to buy again; it's really not worth it.)
2 他为了赚外快熬夜工作，结果病倒了，真是得不偿失。 (He worked overtime for extra money but ended up falling ill; it was really not worth the loss.)
3 用诈骗手段获取财富，一旦暴露就会身败名裂，得不偿失。 (Obtaining wealth through fraud, once exposed, will lead to ruin; the gain does not outweigh the loss.)
4 为了赶时间而超速驾驶，如果被罚款或发生事故，就得不偿失了。 (Speeding to save time, if fined or in an accident, it would not be worth it.)
5 放弃稳定的工作去创业，若没有充分准备，很可能得不偿失。 (Quitting a stable job to start a business without adequate preparation may end up not being worth the loss.)

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