半途而废

bàn tú ér fèi

HSK 2.0 Level 6 HSK 3.0 Level 7 Uncommon

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Definitions

1. to give up halfway (idiom); leave sth unfinished

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Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

• 善始善终 shàn shǐ shàn zhōng 善始善终 shàn shǐ shàn zhōng where there's a start, there's a finish (idiom); to finish once one starts sth Start well and end well, opposite of giving up halfway.: where there's a start, there's a finish (idiom); to finish once one starts sth

Related words

1 item

• 前功尽弃 qián gōng jìn qì 前功尽弃 qián gōng jìn qì to waste all one's previous efforts (idiom) Previous efforts are wasted, often because of giving up halfway.: to waste all one's previous efforts (idiom)

Usage notes

Common mistakes

半途而废 is a fixed idiom; do not change 途 to 路 or 废 to other characters.

Formality

This idiom is neutral in register and widely used in both spoken and written Chinese.

Example Sentences

1 shown

学外语不能 半途而废 ，要坚持到底。

Learning a foreign language should not be given up halfway; you must persist to the end.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 半途而废

• 半 半 bàn: half
• 废 废 fèi: to abolish
• 而 而 ér: and
• 半途 半途 bàn tú: halfway
• 途 途 tú: way