一叶障目 yí yè zhàng mù
to have one's view blocked by a single leaf; to miss the big picture because of a trivial detail
Literally: one leaf block eye
Tap a character above to see its stroke order and the words it appears in.
Origin
From the Heguanzi (Tian Ze): 一叶蔽目,不见泰山 — a leaf before the eye hides Mount Tai; the tale of a man hiding behind a 'invisibility leaf' appears in Handan Chun's Xiaolin.
How to use it
Predicate, often with 不见泰山; negative. Often 切忌一叶障目.
Example sentences
Show:
Tap any word for its meaning and pinyin. The chengyu is highlighted.
- 评价一个政策不能一叶障目，只盯着个别的负面案例。Píngjià yí gè zhèngcè bù néng yí yè zhàng mù, zhǐ dīngzhe gèbié de fùmiàn ànlì.In assessing a policy one must not let a single leaf block the view, fixating only on a few negative cases.evaluate one (measure) policy not can one leaf block eye, only stare (continuous particle) individual (attributive particle) negative case
- 他被短期利润一叶障目，忽视了市场正在发生的巨大变化。Tā bèi duǎnqī lìrùn yí yè zhàng mù, hūshì le shìchǎng zhèngzài fāshēng de jùdà biànhuà.Blinded by short-term profits, he ignored the huge changes taking place in the market.he (passive marker) short-term profit one leaf block eye, ignore (aspect particle) market currently happen (attributive particle) huge change
More chengyu about wisdom & judgement
- 深谋远虑shēn móu yuǎn lǜto plan deeply and think far ahead; far-sighted and prudent
- 高瞻远瞩gāo zhān yuǎn zhǔto stand high and see far; visionary, far-sighted
- 因地制宜yīn dì zhì yíto adapt measures to local conditions; to suit the action to the place
- 舍本逐末shě běn zhú mòto attend to trifles and neglect essentials; to put the cart before the horse
- 因噎废食yīn yē fèi shíto give up eating for fear of choking; to abandon something worthwhile because of a small risk
- 集思广益jí sī guǎng yìto pool collective wisdom; to draw on everyone's ideas
- 权衡利弊quán héng lì bìto weigh the pros and cons
- 见微知著jiàn wēi zhī zhùto see the significant in the small; to foresee developments from small signs