- 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
Characters
- 本 (本): (bound form) root; stem; (bound form) origin; source; (bound form) one's own; this; (bound form) this; the current (year etc); (bound form) original; (bound form) inherent; originally; initially; capital; principal; classifier for books, periodicals, files etc
- 末 (末): tip; end; final stage; latter part; inessential detail; powder; dust; opera role of old man
- 倒 (倒): to fall; to collapse; to lie horizontally; to fail; to go bankrupt; to overthrow; to change (trains or buses); to move around; to resell at a profit
- 置 (置): to install; to place; to put; to buy
Resources
- Wiktionary: 本末倒置
- MDBG: 本末倒置
- Examples with 本末倒置 on Tatoeba
Examples
不要把本末倒置。