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帮倒忙 (bāng dào máng) — to be more hindrance than help (well-intentioned help that backfires)

Definition

帮倒忙 (bāng dào máng) means 'to be more hindrance than help' — well-meant help that backfires. Contrast with 帮忙, plain 'to help', which is neutral.

verb
to be more hindrance than help (well-intentioned help that backfires)

Examples

  • 帮倒忙，。
    Nǐ kě bié lái bāng dào máng le, wǒ yí gè rén jiù xíng.
    Don't come and be a hindrance — I can manage on my own.
  • ，。
    Tā běn lái xiǎng bāng máng, jié guǒ què bāng le yí gè dào máng.
    He originally wanted to help, but ended up doing more harm than good.
  • ，帮倒忙。
    Bāng máng zhī qián xiān wèn wèn duì fāng xū yào shén me, miǎn de bāng dào máng.
    Before you help, first ask what the other person needs, so you don't end up being a hindrance.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

帮bānghelp
倒忙backfiring trouble
倒dǎobackfiring忙mánghelp
偏正Modifier + head

帮 gives help, while 倒忙 gives help that backfires into trouble; well-intended aid adds difficulty.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 幫; 帮 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
帛帛bósilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
封
封fēng幫bāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 帮's traditional form 幫, 帛 (silk) gives the meaning and 封 gives the sound; it originally named the upper part of a shoe.

Open 帮 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
到
到dào倒dào
Same sound today

倒 combines 亻 (person) with 到, which gives the sound.

Open 倒 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
亡
亡wáng忙máng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

忙 pairs 忄 (heart) with 亡, which gives the sound.

Open 忙 →
Appears in
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