| 小不忍则乱大谋 |
xiǎo bù rěn zé luàn dà móu |
(idiom) great plans can be ruined by just a touch of impatience |
| 小 |
xiǎo |
small / tiny / few / young |
| 不 |
bù |
no; not so / (bound form) not; un- |
| 不忍 |
bù rěn |
cannot bear to |
| 忍 |
rěn |
to bear / to endure / to tolerate / to restrain oneself |
| 则 |
zé |
(literary) (conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but; then / (bound form) standard; norm / (bound form) principle / (literary) to imitate; to follow / classifier for written items |
| 乱 |
luàn |
in confusion or disorder / in a confused state of mind / disorder / upheaval / riot / illicit sexual relations / to throw into disorder / to mix up / indiscriminate / random / arbitrary |
| 大 |
dà |
big; large; great / older (than another person) / eldest (as in 大姐) / greatly; freely; fully / (dialect) father / (dialect) uncle (father's brother) |
| 大 |
dài |
see 大夫 |
| 谋 |
móu |
to plan / to seek / scheme |