半途而废 (bàn tú ér fèi) — Give Up Halfway
Abandoning something before completion
Category: Chengyu (Idioms)
The Rule
半途而废 literally means 'half road and abandon'. It describes giving up on something before finishing. Always negative — used to criticize or warn against quitting. 半途 (halfway) + 而废 (and abandon).
Why This Matters
This chengyu comes from a story about a woman whose husband quit his studies. She cut the cloth she was weaving to show him that stopping halfway wastes all previous effort. Chinese culture highly values perseverance (坚持), and 半途而废 carries strong disapproval. English equivalents include 'throw in the towel' or 'quit while you're at it' but with more cultural weight.
Examples
• 学中文不能半途而废。(Xué zhōngwén bù néng bàn tú ér fèi.) — "You can't give up halfway when learning Chinese." [不能 + chengyu = 'you mustn't do this'] • 他做事总是半途而废。(Tā zuòshì zǒngshì bàn tú ér fèi.) — "He always gives up on things halfway through." [Critical comment about someone's habit] • 既然开始了，就不要半途而废。(Jìrán kāishǐ le, jiù búyào bàn tú ér fèi.) — "Since you've started, don't quit halfway." [Motivational advice — very common phrasing]
Common Mistakes
❌ Using it positively: 我半途而废了一个坏习惯 ✅ Stopping a bad habit is good — use 戒掉 (quit) or 改掉 (change) instead → 半途而废 is always negative. You don't 'give up halfway' on bad habits — you 'quit' or 'overcome' them. ❌ 半途而废了 for strategic retreats or wise decisions to stop ✅ Use 放弃 (fàngqì, give up) neutrally, or 及时止损 (cut losses) for strategic stops → 半途而废 implies the quitting was wrong/wasteful. If stopping was the right call, use different expressions.
Quick Tip
Perfect for self-motivation: 不能半途而废！(Can't quit now!) Chinese teachers love hearing students use this about their Chinese studies.
Perfect for self-motivation: 不能半途而废！(Can't quit now!) Chinese teachers love hearing students use this about their Chinese studies.
Examples
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: Using it positively: 我半途而废了一个坏习惯 → Correct: Stopping a bad habit is good — use 戒掉 (quit) or 改掉 (change) instead. 半途而废 is always negative. You don't 'give up halfway' on bad habits — you 'quit' or 'overcome' them.
Incorrect: 半途而废了 for strategic retreats or wise decisions to stop → Correct: Use 放弃 (fàngqì, give up) neutrally, or 及时止损 (cut losses) for strategic stops. 半途而废 implies the quitting was wrong/wasteful. If stopping was the right call, use different expressions.
Quiz
What is the tone of 半途而废?