成事不足，败事有余 chéng shì bù zú ， bài shì yǒu yú

DEFINITIONS

  1. unable to accomplish anything but liable to spoil everything (idiom)
  2. unable to do anything right
  3. never make, but always mar

CHARACTERS

成 chéng
HSK 3
completed, finished, fixed
事 shì
HSK 2
affair, matter, business; to serve; accident, incident
不 bù
HSK 1
no, not; un-; negative prefix
足 zú
HSK 2
foot; attain, satisfy, enough
败 bài
HSK 4
be defeated, decline, fail
事 shì
HSK 2
affair, matter, business; to serve; accident, incident
有 yǒu
HSK 1
have, own, possess; exist
余 yú
HSK 5
I, my, me; surname; surplus