start but not finish; lack perseverance
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
to start something but not finish it; to lack perseverance
neutralUsed to criticize someone who begins tasks enthusiastically but fails to persist to completion. Can function as predicate, attribute, or object.
Tā他
zuò做
shì事
zǒng总
shì是
yǒu有
shǐ始
wú无
zhōng终
，
suǒ所
yǐ以
shén什
me么
dōu都
méi没
zuò做
chéng成
。
He always starts things but never finishes them, so he hasn't accomplished anything.
Xué学
xí习
yào要
yǒu有
héng恒
xīn心
，
bù不
néng能
yǒu有
shǐ始
wú无
zhōng终
。
Studying requires perseverance; you can't start and then give up.
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Zhè这
shì是
yī一
gè个
yǒu有
shǐ始
wú无
zhōng终
de的
jì计
huà划
，
zuì最
hòu后
bù不
liǎo了
liǎo了
zhī之
。
This was a plan that started but never finished, eventually fizzling out.