Definition
美中不足 (měi zhōng bù zú) is a set phrase (chengyu) meaning 'a fly in the ointment' — the one small flaw that mars something otherwise perfect. The literal reading is 'in the midst of beauty, something insufficient.' It is often used in the pattern '…美中不足的是…' to introduce the drawback.
idiom
a fly in the ointmentthe one small flaw that mars an otherwise perfect thing
Examples
- ，美中不足。Zhège fāng'àn hěn wánměi, měi zhōng bù zú de shì yùsuàn tài gāo le.This plan is perfect, except the budget is too high.
- ，美中不足。Tā de chéngjì hěn hǎo, měi zhōng bù zú de shì tǐyù bù jígé.His grades are great, but the one drawback is that he failed PE.
- ，美中不足。Zhè jiā cāntīng wèidào yīliú, měi zhōng bù zú de shì fúwù tàidù chà.This restaurant has first-class food, but the service attitude is poor.
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