DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

欲益反損

简欲益反损 · 繁欲益反損

Mandarin · pinyin yù yì fǎn sǔn

wishing for profit, but causing loss (idiom); good intentions that lead to disaster
It all ends in tears.

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Characters in this entry

欲: yù · desire, want, long for; intend
益: yì · profit, benefit; advantage; hexagram ䷩
反: fǎn · reverse, opposite, contrary, anti
損: Look up this written character
损: sǔn · diminish; impair; injure

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–4–3–3 · yu4 yi4 fan3 sun3

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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.

欲益反損 · find source passages ↗ · 欲益反损 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

juk6 jik1 faan2 syun2

Cantonese word readings for 欲益反損. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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