不求有功，但求無過

See also: 不求有功，但求无过

Chinese

		not; no	to seek; to look for; to request to seek; to look for; to request; to demand; to beseech	to have; there is; there are to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be	merit; achievement; result merit; achievement; result; service; accomplishment		but; yet; however but; yet; however; only; merely; still	to seek; to look for; to request to seek; to look for; to request; to demand; to beseech	not have	to cross; to go over; (experienced action marker) to cross; to go over; (experienced action marker); to pass; to celebrate; to live; to get along; excessively; too-
trad. (不求有功，但求無過)		不	求	有	功	，	但	求	無	過
simp. (不求有功，但求无过)		不	求	有	功	，	但	求	无	过
Literally: “does not seek merit, only seeks a lack of errors”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bùqiú yǒugōng, dànqiú wúguò

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄧㄡˇ ㄍㄨㄥ , ㄉㄢˋ ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): bat¹ kau⁴ jau⁵ gung¹, daan⁶ kau⁴ mou⁴ gwo³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: bùqiú yǒugōng, dànqiú wúguò
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄧㄡˇ ㄍㄨㄥ , ㄉㄢˋ ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: bùcióu yǒugong, dàncióu wúguò
    • Wade–Giles: pu⁴-chʻiu² yu³-kung¹, tan⁴-chʻiu² wu²-kuo⁴
    • Yale: bù-chyóu yǒu-gūng-, dàn-chyóu wú-gwò
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: buchyou yeougong, dannchyou wuguoh
    • Palladius: буцю югун, даньцю уго (bucju jugun, danʹcju ugo)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ tän⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ u³⁵ ku̯ɔ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: bat¹ kau⁴ jau⁵ gung¹, daan⁶ kau⁴ mou⁴ gwo³
    • Yale: bāt kàuh yáuh gūng, daahn kàuh mòuh gwo
    • Cantonese Pinyin: bat⁷ kau⁴ jau⁵ gung¹, daan⁶ kau⁴ mou⁴ gwo³
    • Guangdong Romanization: bed¹ keo⁴ yeo⁵ gung¹, dan⁶ keo⁴ mou⁴ guo³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pɐt̚⁵ kʰɐu̯²¹ jɐu̯¹³ kʊŋ⁵⁵ taːn²² kʰɐu̯²¹ mou̯²¹ kʷɔː³³/

Idiom

不求有功，但求無過

1. (somebody who) does not try to accomplish anything, but rather avoids doing things that would end up in his making a mistake and getting yelled at by others; color inside the lines; a complacent attitude

   • 小公司從前那種不求有功但求無過的發展思路，已經無法適應市場競爭的需要。 [MSC, trad.]
     小公司从前那种不求有功但求无过的发展思路，已经无法适应市场竞争的需要。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2005: 张志军 ed. (Zhang Zhijun), 小公司如何长大：创立品牌的艺术 (How small companies grow large: the art of creating a brand)

     Xiǎo gōngsī cóngqián nà zhǒng bùqiúyǒugōngdànqiúwúguò de fāzhǎn sīlù, yǐjīng wúfǎ shìyìng shìchǎng jìngzhēng de xūyào. [Pinyin]

     That kind of color inside the lines mentality of development, previously seen in small companies, can no longer accommodate the requirements of market competition.