南辕北辙

nán yuán běi zhé

Driving North to Go South

A traveler has a fast horse, plenty of money, and an excellent driver—but every advantage takes him farther from his destination.

RECOMMENDEDHSK 3

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文化
CULTURE

When effort moves in the wrong direction

南辕北辙 literally contrasts a carriage pointing south with tracks leading north. The idiom comes from a story recorded in Strategies of the Warring States and describes actions that run directly against an intended goal.

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