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偷鸡不成蚀把米
tōujībùchéngshíbǎmǐ
Traditional: 偷雞不成蝕把米
lit. to try to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice used to lure it (idiom) / fig. to try to gain an advantage only to end up worse off / to go for wool and come back shorn
Character Breakdown
偷
tōu
to steal; burglar, thief
HSK 5
鸡
jī
chicken
HSK 2
不
bù
no, not, un-; negative prefix
HSK 1
成
chéng
to accomplish; to become; to complete, to finish; to succeed
HSK 3
蚀
shí
to nibble at, to erode; an eclipse
HSK 6
把
bǎ
to grasp, to hold; to guard, to take; handle
HSK 3
米
mǐ
rice, millet, grain
HSK 1
Additional Information
Category
Chinese
HSK Character Level
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HSK Word Level
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