玩物丧志 in English wan2 wu4 sang4 zhi4 Meaning

Meanings

  • literally (word for word) trifling destroys the will (idiomatic expression); infatuation with fine details prevents one making progress
  • excessive attention to trivia saps the will

Simplified Characters

玩 物 丧 志

Traditional Characters

玩 物 喪 志

Pinyin

wan2 wu4 sang4 zhi4

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

玩wan2to play 物wu4thing 丧sang4mourning 志zhi4aspiration