Chinese characters and pinyin
Simplified: 欲速则不达
Traditional: 欲速則不達
Pinyin: yù sù zé bù dá
Literal translation
Desire for speed, and you will not arrive.
Natural English meaning
Rushing can prevent you from achieving the result at all.
Closest English equivalent
Haste makes waste.
The Chinese line warns that haste blocks arrival; the English one emphasizes wasted work.
When to use it
Use it when speed is undermining accuracy, learning, or sound judgment.
When not to use it
It does not mean every urgent task should move slowly.
Example sentence
基础还没学好就想跳级，欲速则不达。
Skipping the basics to advance faster may keep you from progressing at all.
Origin and cultural context
A teaching recorded in the Analects in advice about governing and practical work.
Classification: classical quotation. This label distinguishes a complete proverb or popular saying from a compact idiom or a quotation preserved from a classical text.
