蝇头小利 (yíng tóu xiǎo lì) — a pittance; a trifling profit; a very small (often contemptible) gain
Definition
A chengyu meaning 'a tiny, contemptible profit' — literally 'fly-head-sized gain.' It carries a moralizing tone, warning against chasing small gains at the cost of larger interests or principles.
idiom
a pittancea trifling profita very small (often contemptible) gain
Examples
- 蝇头小利，。Tā wèi le zhè diǎn yíng tóu xiǎo lì, bù xī sǔn hài gōng sī de cháng yuǎn lì yì.He didn't hesitate to harm the company's long-term interests for this petty gain.
- 蝇头小利，。Shāng rén zhī kàn zhòng yíng tóu xiǎo lì, hěn nán bǎ shēng yì zuò dà.If a businessman only cares about small profits, it's hard to grow the business.
- 蝇头小利。Bié wèi le yì diǎn yíng tóu xiǎo lì jiù fàng qì yuán zé.Don't abandon your principles for a trifling profit.
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