# 竭泽而渔

jié zé ér yú

Sacrifice the future for an immediate gain

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Drain a pond to catch its fish

**Traditional Chinese:** 竭澤而漁

**Register:** Critical · formal

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

## When to use it

Use for exploiting a resource so completely that future benefits are destroyed.

It implies unsustainable extraction, not simply making intensive use of something.

## Understanding the expression

Draining the pond may produce an immediate catch, but it removes the conditions that allow fish to survive and reproduce. The expression therefore criticizes short-term gains purchased through lasting damage. It can concern natural resources, employees, finances, or customer trust. The crucial question is whether today's extraction undermines tomorrow's ability to continue. A large benefit alone does not prove the method is sustainable.

## Examples

过度捕捞是竭泽而渔，最终会让渔民失去生计。

### Traditional Chinese

過度捕撈是竭澤而漁，最終會讓漁民失去生計。

guò dù bǔ lāo shì jié zé ér yú ， zuì zhōng huì ràng yú mín shī qù shēng jì 。

Overfishing sacrifices the future catch and ultimately threatens fishers' livelihoods.

靠不断透支员工来增加产量，无异于竭泽而渔。

### Traditional Chinese

靠不斷透支員工來增加產量，無異於竭澤而漁。

kào bú duàn tòu zhī yuán gōng lái zēng jiā chǎn liàng ， wú yì yú jié zé ér yú 。

Raising output by continually exhausting employees sacrifices future capacity.

为了短期利润破坏土壤，是竭泽而渔的做法。

### Traditional Chinese

為了短期利潤破壞土壤，是竭澤而漁的做法。

wèi le duǎn qī lì rùn pò huài tǔ rǎng ， shì jié zé ér yú de zuò fǎ 。

Damaging the soil for short-term profit destroys the basis of future production.

打折可以促销，但不能竭泽而渔，耗尽顾客的信任。

### Traditional Chinese

打折可以促銷，但不能竭澤而漁，耗盡顧客的信任。

dǎ zhé kě yǐ cù xiāo ， dàn bù néng jié zé ér yú ， hào jìn gù kè de xìn rèn 。

Discounts can promote sales, but the business must not consume all its customers' trust for immediate gains.

## 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=%E7%AB%AD%E6%BE%A4%E8%80%8C%E6%BC%81)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=10&webMd=1&la=0)

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