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捨本逐末

简舍本逐末 · 繁捨本逐末

Mandarin · pinyin shě běn zhú mò

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

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Characters in this entry

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本: běn · root, origin, source; basis
逐: zhú · chase, expel; one by one
末: mò · final, last, end; insignificant
舍: shě · shè · house, dwelling; dwell, reside

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Mandarin tones

3–3–2–4 · she3 ben3 zhu2 mo4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to attend to minor unimportant details while neglecting the essentials

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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