每天成语
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瞻前顾后

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: zhān qián gù hòu
  • English Translation: Looking forward and backward (over-cautious/indecisive)
  • Idiom Composition: 「瞻」（To look forward or look into the distance）＋「前」（The front or the future）＋「顾」（To look back or turn one's head）＋「后」（The back or the past）
  • Meaning: Literally meaning "to look ahead and look behind." While it originally described being prudent and circumspect, in modern Chinese it is almost exclusively used as a derogatory term to describe someone who is **over-cautious**, **indecisive**, or unable to make a decision because they are paralyzed by excessive worry about consequences.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「瞻前顾后」 contains the following nuances:

  • Modern Usage: Indecisiveness: In contemporary speech, this is a negative descriptor for someone who is so worried about potential problems that they cannot act. It implies a lack of boldness.
  • Classical Usage: Prudence: In ancient literature or very formal contexts, it can occasionally mean being thorough and considering all possibilities (past and future) before acting. However, this positive nuance is rare today.

3. Usage

「瞻前顾后」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Criticism or Advice: Used when advising someone to stop worrying and take a chance, or criticizing someone for missing an opportunity due to delay.
    • Example:「既然决定了就要大胆去做，不要瞻前顾后。」
      （Since you've made a decision, you should go for it boldly; don't hesitate and look back.)
  • Describing Personality: Used to describe a character trait of being overly cautious or lacking decisiveness.
    • Example:「他做事总是瞻前顾后，所以错过了很多好机会。」
      （He is always over-cautious in everything he does, so he has missed many great opportunities.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 改革需要勇气，不能瞻前顾后，畏首畏尾。
    （Reform requires courage; we cannot afford to be indecisive and over-fearful.）
  2. 别再瞻前顾后了，时间不等人！
    （Stop shilly-shallying; time waits for no one!）
  3. 这种瞻前顾后的态度，很难成大事。
    （With this kind of hesitant attitude, it is difficult to achieve great things.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The idiom originates from the poem Li Sao (离骚) by the famous Warring States period poet Qu Yuan (屈原). The original line suggested that a ruler should look to the past and future to understand the best path for the people.
  • The shift in meaning from 'prudent' to 'indecisive' reflects a common linguistic evolution where 'excessive caution' becomes viewed as a weakness rather than a virtue. Using 瞻前顾后 (zhān qián gù hòu) as a compliment today might be misunderstood as an insult.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 瞻前顾后 (zhān qián gù hòu) is a visual metaphor for a person who keeps looking around in hesitation instead of moving forward. In modern contexts, it is a common way to criticize someone for being **too hesitant** or lacking the courage to take a decisive step. It is often used in advice to encourage someone to stop overthinking and take action.

Idiom Essay

zhān qián gù hòu
瞻前顾后
Hesitation and Overthinking
shēng huó生活zhōng中，wǒ men我们cháng cháng常常huì会xiàn rù陷入yī zhǒng一种“zhōng jiān中间zhuàng tài状态”。

In life, we often fall into a kind of "middle state."

nǐ你xiǎng想wǎng qián往前zǒu走yī bù一步，yòu又pà怕qián miàn前面yǒu有fēng xiǎn风险；nǐ你xiǎng想tuì huí退回qù去，yòu又jué de觉得bù gān xīn不甘心。

You want to take a step forward, but fear the risks ahead; you want to retreat, but feel unwilling to give up.

yú shì于是，nǐ你de的mù guāng目光yī huì er一会儿kàn看xiàng向wèi lái未来，yī huì er一会儿yòu又rěn bú zhù忍不住huí tóu回头kàn看guò qù过去，jié guǒ结果jiǎo xià脚下què却yī bù一步yě也méi yǒu没有dòng动。

As a result, your gaze shifts between the future and the past, yet your feet do not move a single step.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语fēi cháng非常shēng dòng生动dì地miáo huì描绘le了zhè zhǒng这种zhuàng tài状态，jiào叫“zhān qián gù hòu瞻前顾后”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom that vividly describes this state called 瞻前顾后.

zì miàn字面shàng上kàn看，zhè ge这个cí词hěn很yǒu有huà miàn画面gǎn感。

Literally, this term is very visual.

“zhān瞻”，shì是xiàng向yuǎn chù远处kàn看；“gù顾”，shì是huí tóu回头kàn看。

瞻 means to look into the distance; 顾 means to look back.

jì既kàn看qián miàn前面，yòu又kàn看hòu miàn后面。

It means looking both forward and backward.

zhè这jiù就dài lái带来le了yí gè一个hěn很yǒu yì si有意思de的máo dùn矛盾。

This brings about a very interesting contradiction.

zuì最zǎo早de的shí hòu时候，gǔ rén古人yòng用zhè ge这个cí词，qí shí其实shì是zài在kuā jiǎng夸奖yí gè一个rén人。

Originally, when ancient people used this term, they were actually praising someone.

yì si意思shì是shuō说，zhè ge这个rén人zuò shì做事hěn很zhōu quán周全，bǎ把wèi lái未来de的hòu guǒ后果hé和guò qù过去de的jīng yàn经验dōu都kǎo lǜ考虑dào到le了，fēi cháng非常jǐn shèn谨慎。

It meant that the person was very thorough, considering both future consequences and past experiences with great caution.

dàn shì但是，zài在xiàn dài现代shēng huó生活zhōng中，rú guǒ如果wǒ men我们shuō说yí gè一个rén人“zhān qián gù hòu瞻前顾后”，tōng cháng通常bù zài不再shì是kuā jiǎng夸奖，ér shì而是zài在shuō说tā他——yóu yù bù jué犹豫不决。

However, in modern life, if we say someone is 瞻前顾后, it is usually no longer a compliment, but rather saying they are indecisive.

wèi shén me为什么huì会yǒu有zhè zhǒng这种biàn huà变化ne呢？

Why has this change occurred?

yīn wèi因为zài在hěn很duō多shí hòu时候，xiǎng想dé得tài太duō多，fǎn ér反而huì会biàn chéng变成yī zhǒng一种fù dān负担。

Because in many cases, thinking too much can instead become a burden.

bǐ rú比如，nǐ你xiǎng想huàn换yī fèn一份xīn新gōng zuò工作。

For example, you want to change to a new job.

nǐ你kàn看zhe着qián miàn前面，dān xīn担心xīn新huán jìng环境shì yìng适应bù不le了；nǐ你yòu又kàn看zhe着shēn hòu身后，shě bù dé舍不得xiàn zài现在zhè这fèn份gōng zuò工作de的ān wěn安稳。

You look ahead, worrying you won't adapt to the new environment; you look behind, reluctant to leave the stability of your current job.

nǐ你zài在qián hòu前后de的bǐ jiào比较zhōng中làng fèi浪费le了dà liàng大量shí jiān时间，zuì hòu最后，jī huì机会kě néng可能jiù就zhè yàng这样liū zǒu溜走le了。

You waste a lot of time comparing the two, and in the end, the opportunity might just slip away.

suǒ yǐ所以，“zhān qián gù hòu瞻前顾后”xíng róng形容de的，bù jǐn jǐn不仅仅shì是sī kǎo思考，ér shì而是yī zhǒng一种bèi被sī kǎo思考kùn zhù困住de的zhuàng tài状态。

Therefore, 瞻前顾后 describes not just thinking, but a state of being trapped by thought.

tā它ràng让wǒ men我们zài在zuì最gāi该zuò做jué dìng决定de的shí hòu时候，yīn wèi因为hài pà害怕shī qù失去，ér而biàn dé变得wèi shǒu wèi jiǎo畏手畏脚。

It makes us timid and hesitant when we should be making decisions, because we are afraid of losing something.

dāng rán当然，zuò shì做事xū yào需要jì huà计划。

Of course, things need to be planned.

dàn但zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们：rú guǒ如果gù lǜ顾虑tài太duō多，guò dù过度dì地zhuī qiú追求wán měi完美hé和ān quán安全，wǒ men我们kě néng可能yǒng yuǎn永远yě也mài迈bù不chū出dì yī bù第一步。

But this idiom reminds us: if there are too many concerns and an excessive pursuit of perfection and safety, we may never take the first step.

xià cì下次，dāng当nǐ你fā xiàn发现zì jǐ自己zhàn站zài在rén shēng人生de的lù kǒu路口，fǎn fù反复dì地jì suàn计算lì bì利弊，què却chí chí迟迟bù不gǎn敢xíng dòng行动shí时，huò xǔ或许kě yǐ可以tí xǐng提醒zì jǐ自己：wǒ我shì是zhèng zài正在rèn zhēn认真sī kǎo思考，hái shì还是yǐ jīng已经xiàn rù陷入le了“zhān qián gù hòu瞻前顾后”ne呢？

Next time you find yourself at a crossroads in life, repeatedly calculating pros and cons but hesitating to act, perhaps you can remind yourself: Am I thinking seriously, or have I fallen into 瞻前顾后?

yǒu shí hòu有时候，yǔ qí与其zhàn站zài在yuán dì原地fǎn fù反复què rèn确认，bù rú不如xiān先mài chū迈出nà那yī bù一步。

Sometimes, instead of standing still and confirming repeatedly, it is better to take that first step.

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