Definition
This chengyu means 'to indulge in trivial pleasures and lose one's ambition.' It warns against wasting time on hobbies or material distractions instead of pursuing serious goals. The literal translation ('play with things, lose ambition') is fairly transparent, but the idiom carries a strong moralistic tone often used in advice, criticism, or self-reflection. It is typically used as a predicate or comment, not as an object.
f.e.
to lose one's ambition through excessive indulgence in trivial pleasuresto fritter away one's purpose by obsessing over hobbies
Examples
- ，玩物丧志。Tā zhěngtiān zhǐ dǎ yóuxì, zhēnshi wán wù sàng zhì.He plays games all day — it's truly a case of losing ambition through trivial pleasures.
- 玩物丧志，。Niánqīngrén yīnggāi jǐngtì wán wù sàng zhì, yào zhuānzhù yú xuéxí hé gōngzuò.Young people should guard against losing ambition through indulgence and focus on their studies and work.
- ，玩物丧志。Shōují gǔdǒng běnshēn bú shì huài shì, dàn ruò yīncǐ huāngfèi shìyè biàn shì wán wù sàng zhì.Collecting antiques in itself is not bad, but if it causes you to neglect your career, that's 'play things and lose ambition'.
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