半途而废

bàn tú ér fèi

HSK 2.0 Level 6 HSK 3.0 Level 7 Uncommon

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

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.

Related words

1 item

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.

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

half

to abolish

and

halfway

way