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Home / Idiom / 舍本逐末

to neglect the root and pursue the tip (idiom) · to neglect fundamentals and concentrate on details

舍本逐末
shě běn zhú mò
sh+ě·3rd toneb+ěn·3rd tonezh+ú·2nd tonem+ò·4th tone
Idiom
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Synonyms
Synonyms
go for the abstruse and forget the obvious · sacrifice the near for the distant · seek far and wide for what lies close at hand舍近求远shě jìn qiú yuǎnpenny wise and pound foolish (idiom)贪小失大tān xiǎo shī dàto turn upside down · to reverse · back to front · confused · deranged · crazy颠倒diān dǎoto save a little only to lose a lot (idiom)因小失大yīn xiǎo shī dàto invert the importance of things (i.e. stress the unimportant and neglect the important) · lacking a sense of perspective · to put the cart before the horse轻重倒置qīng zhòng dào zhìto buy a wooden box and return the pearls inside · to show poor judgment (idiom)买椟还珠mǎi dú huán zhū