学习不能半途而废。
You cannot give up halfway when studying.
Daily Chengyu
半途而废
To give up halfway; leave something unfinished.
Literal Meaning: Stop halfway and abandon.
半half
途journey
而and then
废abandon
Today's Situation
You quit learning Mandarin after three weeks even though you had already built a daily habit.
Perfect Chengyu: 半途而废
Actual Meaning
Critiques quitting a goal before completion, especially after meaningful effort was already invested. Common in education and self-improvement contexts.
Emotional toneDisappointed, cautionary
Usage feelNeutral in tone
FormalityNeutral
English Equivalent
- Give up halfway.
- Leave things unfinished.
- Fall at the last hurdle.
English equivalents capture the general idea, but they may not fit every context exactly.
Modern Usage Example
Don't 半途而废 — you've already finished most of the HSK course.
Chinese Example Sentences
他做事总是半途而废。
He always quits things before finishing them.
Origin Story
A scholar stopped studying mid-journey home to answer a summons, abandoning his discipline. The phrase warns against quitting what you started.
When Natives Use It
Good fit
- Education
- Fitness goals
- Long projects
- Parenting advice
Avoid
- Strategic pivoting in business
- Stopping harmful behavior
Encouraging when used gently; critical when describing someone's habit of quitting.
- Common in speech
- Common in writing
- Sounds natural today
- Possible but uncommon in casual chat
- More common in writing or commentary
- Use with care — can sound critical
Similar and Opposite Chengyu
Daily Quiz
Which situation best matches 半途而废?
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