得不偿失
débù-chángshīTraditional 得不償失
the gains do not make up for the losses; not worth it
Every meaning
débù-chángshī
- the gains do not make up for the losses; not worth it
Its characters
- 得déto obtain; to get
- 不bùnot; no
- 偿chángto repay; to compensate
- 失shīto lose
Words with 得
Words with 不
Meanings are from Mandarin The Wild’s own dictionary. Levels follow the official HSK word list (the exam’s 2025 syllabus, levels 7–9 shown together).