# 苟且偷安

gǒu qiě tōu ān

Seek temporary ease while neglecting serious duties

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Make do and steal a little peace

**Register:** Formal · literary

[Choices & judgment](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/decisions)

## When to use it

Criticize complacency that avoids necessary action.

Reasonable recovery differs from shirking responsibility.

## Understanding the expression

The comfort is temporary and obtained by ignoring what still needs to be done. The expression describes someone who avoids a difficult responsibility because present conditions seem tolerable. It often appears in criticism of poor maintenance or complacent leadership. Rest itself is not the fault. The problem is using short term calm to postpone action on known risks, allowing those risks to grow while others may eventually bear the consequences.

## Examples

堤坝有裂缝，不能苟且偷安。

### Traditional Chinese

堤壩有裂縫，不能苟且偷安。

dī bà yǒu liè fèng ， bù néng gǒu qiě tōu ān 。

With cracks in the embankment, complacent inaction is unacceptable.

他苟且偷安，不肯修理漏电设备。

### Traditional Chinese

他苟且偷安，不肯修理漏電設備。

tā gǒu qiě tōu ān ， bù kěn xiū lǐ lòu diàn shè bèi 。

He sought temporary ease and refused to repair the dangerous electrical equipment.

公司不能靠隐瞒问题苟且偷安。

### Traditional Chinese

公司不能靠隱瞞問題苟且偷安。

gōng sī bù néng kào yǐn mán wèn tí gǒu qiě tōu ān 。

The company cannot secure temporary calm by hiding problems.

她拒绝苟且偷安，主动承担整改。

### Traditional Chinese

她拒絕苟且偷安，主動承擔整改。

tā jù jué gǒu qiě tōu ān ， zhǔ dòng chéng dān zhěng gǎi 。

She refused complacency and took responsibility for corrective work.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E8%8B%9F%E4%B8%94%E5%81%B7%E5%AE%89)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=1027&webMd=1&la=0)

## Keep exploring

- [顾此失彼 gù cǐ shī bǐ Attend to one thing and neglect another ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/gu-ci-shi-bi)

- [裹足不前 guǒ zú bù qián Hold back and fail to advance ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/guo-zu-bu-qian)

- [海底捞针 hǎi dǐ lāo zhēn Search for something almost impossible to find ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/hai-di-lao-zhen)

- [邯郸学步 hán dān xué bù Imitate others so blindly that one loses one’s own strengths ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/han-dan-xue-bu)

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