每天成语
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得过且过

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: dé guò qiě guò
  • English Translation: Muddling through (living aimlessly without ambition)
  • Idiom Composition: 「得」（to be able to / can）＋「过」（to pass / get through (a day or a task)）＋「且」（for the time being / just）＋「过」（to pass / get through）
  • Meaning: Literally meaning 'if one can get by, then just get by,' this idiom describes a negative attitude of having no high goals, doing the bare minimum to survive or finish a task, and living without any plan for the future.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「得过且过」 contains the following nuances:

  • Lack of Ambition: It criticizes a passive stance where one has no plans for the future or desire for self-improvement, being satisfied with merely maintaining the current state.
  • Irresponsible Work Ethic: It describes a 'bare minimum' approach to duties, where the quality of work is ignored as long as the task is technically 'finished.'
  • Living Day-to-Day: It refers to a lifestyle of wasting time and avoiding challenges, simply letting the days pass without purpose.

3. Usage

「得过且过」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Criticism of Work or Study Attitude: Frequently used to criticize a sloppy or half-hearted approach to tasks, often as a warning to subordinates, students, or oneself.
    • Example:「对待工作必须精益求精，绝不能抱着得过且过的心态。」
      （We must strive for excellence in our work and never adopt a muddling through attitude.)
  • Description of Lifestyle: Used to describe someone living without goals, drifting through life day by day.
    • Example:「自从失业后，他就一直得过且过，完全没有找新工作的打算。」
      （Since losing his job, he has been living aimlessly with no intention of looking for new work.)
  • Organizational Stagnation: Describes a company or team that refuses to innovate and is satisfied with just surviving.
    • Example:「这家公司管理层得过且过，导致业绩连年下滑。」
      （The management of this company is content with the status quo, leading to a yearly decline in performance.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 年轻时不努力，总是得过且过，将来一定会后悔。
    （If you don't work hard while you're young and just drift along, you will certainly regret it in the future.）
  2. 他这种得过且过的作风，让同事们都很不满。
    （His lackadaisical style of working has made all his colleagues very dissatisfied.）
  3. 在这个竞争激烈的社会，得过且过就意味着被淘汰。
    （In this highly competitive society, just getting by means being left behind.）
  4. 别再得过且过了，给自己定个目标吧。
    （Stop coasting through life and set a goal for yourself.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The phrase appears in the Yuan Dynasty play Xiao Sun Tu (小孙屠) and the works of the famous Song Dynasty poet Lu You (陆游).
  • It is often associated with the fable of the Cold-weather Bird (寒号鸟). The bird sings 'the weather is fine today, I'll build a nest tomorrow,' but it never does and eventually freezes to death. This story is a classic allegory for the spirit of 得过且过 (dé guò qiě guò).
  • In Chinese culture, 'upward mobility' or 上进心 (shàng jìn xīn) is highly valued. Therefore, being labeled with this idiom is a significant criticism of one's character. It is often linked to the concept of 差不多先生 (chà bù duō xiān sheng) or 'Mr. Close Enough,' a famous satirical character created by Hu Shih (胡适) to criticize the habit of being satisfied with 'good enough.'

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 得过且过 (dé guò qiě guò) is used to criticize a lack of ambition or a 'good enough' attitude. It describes someone who is content with just getting through the day or a task without any desire for improvement or excellence. It serves as a warning against complacency and laziness in work, study, or life.

Idiom Essay

dé guò qiě guò
得过且过
Getting By Day by Day
yǒu shí hòu有时候，wǒ men我们huì会xiàn rù陷入yī zhǒng一种tè bié特别pí bèi疲惫de的zhuàng tài状态。

Sometimes, we fall into a state of extreme exhaustion.

miàn duì面对yǎn qián眼前de的gōng zuò工作huò zhě或者shēng huó生活，wǒ men我们bù xiǎng不想zhuī qiú追求wán měi完美，shèn zhì甚至bù xiǎng不想zuò做dé得duō多hǎo好，xīn lǐ心里zhǐ yǒu只有yí gè一个niàn tou念头：“zhǐ yào只要bù不chū cuò出错，néng能hùn guò qù混过去jiù就xíng行le了。”

Facing the work or life in front of us, we don't want to pursue perfection or even do a good job; we only have one thought: "As long as there are no mistakes and I can just get through it, that's enough."

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语fēi cháng非常jīng zhǔn精准dì地miáo shù描述le了zhè zhǒng这种xīn tài心态，jiào叫“dé guò qiě guò得过且过”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom that accurately describes this mindset called 得过且过.

zhè ge这个cí词de的zì miàn字面yì si意思qí shí其实hěn很zhí bái直白。

The literal meaning of this phrase is actually quite straightforward.

“dé得”，shì是néng gòu能够；“guò过”，shì是guò qù过去；“qiě且”，shì是zàn qiě暂且、zàn shí暂时。

得 means to be able to; 过 means to pass; 且 means for the time being or temporarily.

lián连qǐ lái起来jiù shì就是：zhǐ yào只要zhè这yī guān一关néng能guò de qù过得去，nà那jiù就zàn shí暂时xiān先zhè yàng这样guò过ba吧。

Put together, it means: as long as I can get through this moment, I'll just leave it like this for now.

tā它miáo shù描述de的，shì是yī zhǒng一种fàng qì放弃le了cháng yuǎn长远dǎ suàn打算，zhǐ只kàn看yǎn qián眼前de的shēng huó fāng shì生活方式。

It describes a lifestyle that gives up on long-term plans and only looks at the present.

xiǎng xiàng想象yī xià一下，wū dǐng屋顶lòu yǔ漏雨le了，yí gè一个rén人bù不qù去xiū bǔ修补wū dǐng屋顶，zhǐ shì只是ná拿gè个pén zi盆子jiē shuǐ接水。

Imagine a roof is leaking, and instead of fixing it, a person just uses a basin to catch the water.

tā他xiǎng想de的shì是：“fǎn zhèng反正jīn tiān今天néng能jiē zhù接住shuǐ水jiù就xíng行，míng tiān明天de的yǔ雨míng tiān明天zài shuō再说。”

He thinks: "As long as I can catch the water today, I'll worry about tomorrow's rain tomorrow."

zhè这jiù shì就是diǎn xíng典型de的“dé guò qiě guò得过且过”。

This is a classic example of 得过且过.

zhè zhǒng这种xīn tài心态zài在gōng zuò工作zhōng中yě也hěn很cháng jiàn常见。

This mindset is also very common at work.

yǒu xiē有些rén人zuò做shì qíng事情，bú shì不是wèi le为了bǎ把shì qíng事情zuò做hǎo好，ér shì而是wèi le为了“zuò wán做完”。

Some people do things not to do them well, but simply to "finish" them.

zhǐ yào只要lǎo bǎn老板bù不pī píng批评，zhǐ yào只要méi yǒu没有dà大má fán麻烦，jiù就bù不yuàn yì愿意duō多huā花yì diǎn一点lì qì力气qù去gǎi jìn改进。

As long as the boss doesn't criticize and there is no big trouble, they are unwilling to spend even a little extra effort to improve.

suī rán虽然yǒu shí hòu有时候，wǒ men我们zài在jí dù极度pí bèi疲惫shí时què shí确实xū yào需要xiū xī休息，dàn但“dé guò qiě guò得过且过”bù jǐn jǐn不仅仅shì是xiū xī休息，tā它gèng更xiàng像shì是yī zhǒng一种duì对shēng huó生活de的“dī低biāo zhǔn标准tuǒ xié妥协”。

Although sometimes we do need to rest when we are exhausted, 得过且过 is more than just resting; it is like a "low-standard compromise" with life.

yǒu yì si有意思de的shì是，zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语wǎng wǎng往往àn shì暗示le了yī zhǒng一种è xìng xún huán恶性循环：yīn wèi因为jīn tiān今天bù xiǎng不想jiě jué解决wèn tí问题，zhǐ shì只是fū yǎn liǎo shì敷衍了事，jié guǒ结果wèn tí问题yuè越jī积yuè越duō多，míng tiān明天zhǐ只huì会biàn dé变得gèng更nán guò难过。

Interestingly, this idiom often implies a vicious cycle: because you don't want to solve the problem today and just muddle through, the problems accumulate, making tomorrow even harder.

suǒ yǐ所以，xià cì下次dāng当nǐ你fā xiàn发现zì jǐ自己duì对zì jǐ自己shuō说“zhè这jiù就gòu够le了，còu hé凑合yī xià一下ba吧，bié别tài太rèn zhēn认真”de的shí hòu时候，yě xǔ也许kě yǐ可以jǐng tì警惕yī xià一下：zhè这kě néng可能bú shì不是yīn wèi因为nǐ你huò dá豁达，ér shì而是yīn wèi因为nǐ你zhèng zài正在“dé guò qiě guò得过且过”。

So, next time you find yourself saying, "This is enough, just make do, don't take it too seriously," perhaps you should be alert: it might not be because you are open-minded, but because you are being 得过且过.

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