本末倒置

běnmòdàozhì

take the branch for the root; put the incidental before the fundamental

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put the cart before the horse; put the incidental before the fundamental

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put the cart before the horse

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běn mò dǎo zhì

v. put the incidental before the fundamental

běn mò dǎo zhì

take the branch for the root, put the cart before the horse

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ben3 mo4 dao4 zhi4

lit. to invert root and branch (idiom); fig. confusing cause and effect, to stress the incidental over the fundamental, to put the cart before the horse

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本末倒置

běn mò dào zhì

have the order reversed; begin at the wrong end; confuse cause and effect; place the unimportant before the important; put first things last or last things first; put (set) the cart before the horse; put the incidental before the fundamental; put the nonessentials before the essentials; take the branch for the root; take the root for the branch; the first and last turned around; The sauce is better than the fish; turn sth. upside down

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本末倒置|本末倒置 [běn mò dào zhì] ► lit. to invert root and branch (idiom); fig. confusing cause and effect ► to stress the incidental over the fundamental ► to put the cart before the horse