偷鸡不成蚀把米
Tōu jī bù chéng shí bǎ mǐ
"Failed to steal the chicken and lost the rice bait"
Character Analysis
Steal chicken not succeed, lose handful of rice
Meaning & Significance
This proverb describes a situation where someone attempts to gain something through scheming or opportunism, but instead suffers a net loss—ending up worse off than before they tried.
A thief creeps toward a farmhouse at dawn. In his hand, a handful of rice—the bait. He scatters it near the coop and waits. The hen approaches. He lunges. The bird flutters away in a panic of feathers. The thief leaves empty-handed. And his rice is gone, eaten by the very chicken he failed to catch.
This is the image at the heart of the proverb.
The Characters
- 偷 (tōu): To steal, to act secretly
- 鸡 (jī): Chicken, hen
- 不 (bù): Not
- 成 (chéng): To succeed, accomplish
- 蚀 (shí): To lose, erode, corrode
- 把 (bǎ): A handful, a grasp
- 米 (mǐ): Rice, grain
偷鸡不成 — the chicken theft fails.
蚀把米 — the handful of rice is lost.
The structure is brutal in its arithmetic. You wanted to gain a chicken. Instead, you lost your rice. The attempt itself carried a cost, and you paid it for nothing.
Where It Comes From
This proverb has roots in the agricultural reality of rural China, where chickens were valuable property and rice was precious currency. A farmer who lost a hen to theft suffered real economic damage. But the proverb flips the perspective—it imagines the thief’s failure, not the farmer’s loss.
The phrase appears in various forms in Ming and Qing dynasty literature. One early version surfaces in the novel Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (聊斋志异) by Pu Songling (1640-1715), where characters who scheme against others often find themselves doubly ruined.
But the proverb likely circulated orally long before it appeared in print. It has the rhythm of folk wisdom—vivid, earthy, memorable.
The Philosophy
The Cost of Opportunism
Every scheme has overhead. The rice in this proverb represents your investment—time, money, reputation, energy. When you try to take something that isn’t yours, or cut corners, or exploit a situation, you’re spending that rice. And if the scheme fails, you don’t get it back.
The Asymmetry of Risk
This is something gamblers know well. To win big, you risk losing. But the proverb points to something sharper: sometimes you risk and lose, even when your goal was modest. You wanted a chicken. You lost your dinner.
The ancient Greeks had a related concept in hubris—overreaching that leads to nemesis, or downfall. The thief’s crime wasn’t just attempted theft; it was the assumption that he could take without cost.
Moral Hazard
When you operate at the edge of ethics, you expose yourself. The rice isn’t just bait—it’s your stake in the game. Honest people keep their rice. Schemers risk it. This is why the proverb carries a quiet moral judgment beneath its practical warning.
Sunk Costs and Bad Bets
Modern economics would call this a lesson in sunk costs. The rice is gone whether you catch the chicken or not. But the proverb was teaching this centuries before the terminology existed. It asks: was the gamble ever worth taking?
When Chinese Speakers Use It
Scenario 1: A failed manipulation
“I tried to make him jealous so he’d pay more attention to me. Instead, he started dating someone else.”
Her friend shook her head slowly. “偷鸡不成蚀把米. You lost the relationship you had by chasing one you wanted.”
Scenario 2: Corporate scheming
The manager had spent six months undermining his rival. He spread rumors. He hid critical information. Then came the restructuring. His rival was promoted. He was laid off.
At dinner, his brother listened to the story and said simply: “偷鸡不成蚀把米. You spent your political capital on a fight you lost.”
Scenario 3: Investment speculation
“I took out a second mortgage to buy crypto. It crashed. Now I owe more than the house is worth.”
“偷鸡不成蚀把米. The rice was your financial security. The chicken was imaginary.”
Scenario 4: Warning a friend
“I’m thinking of leaking that information to hurt their campaign.”
“Careful. 偷鸡不成蚀把米. If they trace it back to you, you’ll lose your job and they’ll still win.”
Tattoo Advice
Mixed recommendation—proceed with caution.
This proverb has a fascinating duality. On one hand, it’s sharp, memorable, and viscerally specific. On the other, it carries the energy of failure and loss.
Arguments against:
- Negative connotation: This proverb is about failing. Do you want a permanent reminder of schemes that backfire?
- Self-accusation: Having this on your body might suggest you see yourself as someone who attempts things and fails.
- Criminal imagery: The proverb centers on theft. Some might find the imagery morally uncomfortable.
Arguments for:
- Humble wisdom: It could serve as a reminder to stay honest and avoid scheming—a permanent lesson.
- Wry humor: Some people appreciate the dark comedy of the image.
- Seven characters: Not too long, not too short.
Better alternatives:
If you like the warning-against-overreaching energy, consider:
- 贪小失大 — “Greedy for small things, lose big things” (4 characters). Same lesson, cleaner imagery.
- 欲速则不达 — “Haste prevents arrival” (5 characters). Confucian, classical, positive framing.
- 得道多助 — “Those with the Way have many helpers” (4 characters). Focuses on righteous paths rather than failed shortcuts.
If you’re committed to this proverb:
Consider the shortened form 蚀把米 (“lost the rice”) as a three-character version. It’s punchier and often used colloquially to express the same sentiment. Or use just 偷鸡 as a wry self-deprecating reference, though this is less common.
Tone:
This proverb is cautionary and slightly cynical. It works best for someone with a dark sense of humor or a hard-won lesson about the costs of cutting corners.