过犹不及
- Literal
- going over is like not reaching
- Figurative
- Going too far is as bad as falling short: a warning that any excess, even of a good thing, does as much harm as too little.
Where does 过犹不及 come from?
It comes from the 《论语》, in the 先进 chapter. Zigong asked Confucius which of two disciples was worthier, Zizhang or Zixia. The Master replied that Zizhang went too far and Zixia fell short. Zigong concluded that Zizhang must be the better one, and Confucius corrected him: going too far is the same as falling short. It is usually read in light of the Confucian ideal of the mean. Today it warns that even a good thing, pushed too far, backfires; unlike 画蛇添足, it is not about an extra touch that spoils a piece of work, but about excess in general.
Source (出处): 《论语·先进》
How is 过犹不及 used? Two examples
- 运动是好事，但过犹不及，一天跑二十公里膝盖受不了。
Exercise is good for you, but too much is as bad as too little: no knee can take twenty kilometers a day.
- 广告做得太多反而让顾客反感，真是过犹不及。
So much advertising ended up putting customers off; overdoing it really is as bad as not doing enough.
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