偷工减料 (tōu gōng jiǎn liào) — cut corners (in workmanship); do shoddy work
Definition
A chengyu meaning 'cut corners' in construction or manufacturing — skimping on materials and labor to save cost, usually producing shoddy results.
idiom
cut corners (in workmanship)do shoddy work
Examples
- 偷工减料。Zhè jiā jiàn zhù gōng sī yīn wèi tōu gōng jiǎn liào bèi fá kuǎn le.This construction company was fined for cutting corners.
- 偷工减料，。Xiū fáng zi de shí hou jué duì bù néng tōu gōng jiǎn liào, fǒu zé yǐ hòu huì yǒu dà má fan.When renovating a house you absolutely cannot cut corners, otherwise there will be big trouble later.
- 偷工减料，。Tā men yòng lián jià cái liào tōu gōng jiǎn liào, jié guǒ dà qiáo hěn kuài jiù tā le.They used cheap materials to cut corners, and as a result the bridge collapsed soon after.
Appears in
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