# 南辕北辙

nán yuán běi zhé

Move in a direction opposite to your goal

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** The carriage points south but tracks go north

**Traditional Chinese:** 南轅北轍

**Register:** Critical · conversational

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

## When to use it

Use when actions undermine or lead away from a stated aim.

It describes a mismatch between means and goals.

## Behind the words

A traveler heads north while intending to reach a southern destination. Good horses and supplies cannot fix going the wrong way.

The image combines an intended southward destination with a vehicle traveling north. Resources, speed, and enthusiasm cannot compensate for a fundamentally wrong direction. Modern use describes actions that lead away from the declared goal or plans that are sharply opposed. Unlike a minor inefficiency, the problem is that progress on the current route increases the distance from the desired result.

## Examples

说要减少开支，却买更多设备，岂不是南辕北辙？

### Traditional Chinese

說要減少開支，卻買更多設備，豈不是南轅北轍？

shuō yào jiǎn shǎo kāi zhī ， què mǎi gèng duō shè bèi ， qǐ bú shì nán yuán běi zhé ？

Buying more equipment while claiming to cut spending takes us in the opposite direction.

想提高服务质量，却一味减少培训，这不是南辕北辙吗？

### Traditional Chinese

想提高服務質量，卻一味減少培訓，這不是南轅北轍嗎？

xiǎng tí gāo fú wù zhì liàng ， què yí wèi jiǎn shǎo péi xùn ， zhè bú shì nán yuán běi zhé ma ？

If the goal is better service, constantly cutting training moves in the opposite direction.

他们说要减少浪费，实际却不断购买一次性用品，做法南辕北辙。

### Traditional Chinese

他們說要減少浪費，實際卻不斷購買一次性用品，做法南轅北轍。

tā men shuō yào jiǎn shǎo làng fèi ， shí jì què bú duàn gòu mǎi yí cì xìng yòng pǐn ， zuò fǎ nán yuán běi zhé 。

They say they want less waste but keep buying disposable items, contradicting the direction of their goal.

两人的计划南辕北辙，很难继续合作。

### Traditional Chinese

兩人的計劃南轅北轍，很難繼續合作。

liǎng rén de jì huà nán yuán běi zhé ， hěn nán jì xù hé zuò 。

Their plans head in opposing directions, making collaboration difficult.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 4, 2026.

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=28&q=1&webMd=1&la=0)

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E5%8D%97%E8%BD%85%E5%8C%97%E8%BD%8D)

## Keep exploring

- [弄巧成拙 nòng qiǎo chéng zhuō Make things worse by trying to be clever ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/nong-qiao-cheng-zhuo)

- [蚍蜉撼树 pí fú hàn shù Overestimate one’s ability against something far stronger ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/pi-fu-han-shu)

- [骑虎难下 qí hǔ nán xià Be unable to withdraw from a difficult course ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/qi-hu-nan-xia)

- [奇货可居 qí huò kě jū Hoard something rare to gain an advantage ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/qi-huo-ke-ju)

## Keep this one close.

Save useful idioms, read offline, and revisit them with flashcards in Almanac.

[View on the App Store ](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6819590452)

[Previous idiom 难兄难弟 ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/nan-xiong-nan-di) [Next idiom 泥牛入海 ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/ni-niu-ru-hai)