Japanese meaning of 本末転倒
Reading:
ほんまつてんとう (honmatsu tentou)
English Translation:
Putting the cart before the horse
Meaning & Cultural Context
Meaning:
To mistakenly place less important things before the truly essential, causing confusion and ineffective results. This phrase warns against misjudging priorities.
Cultural Context:
From Zen Buddhist texts, originally referring to mistaking the root for the branches. Now widely used in politics, business, and personal decision-making to criticize misplaced priorities.
本来優先すべきことを後回しにして、重要でないことを先に行うなど、物事の順序や本末を取り違えてしまうこと。判断ミスや非効率の原因になります。
禅宗の経典に由来し、本来は「根と枝を取り違える」という意味。現代では政治、ビジネス、日常の判断などで優先順位を誤ることを批判する表現として広く使われる。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
• Noun phrase often used with “になる” or “だ” to state that priorities are reversed.
Trap for English Speakers
May be taken literally as “roots and tips upside-down” without recognizing it means “reversing priorities.”
Example
Basic Example
品質を下げてコスト削減するのは本末転倒だ。
It’s reversing priorities to cut quality just to save costs.
Applied Example
勝利にこだわるあまり、仲間を犠牲にするのは本末転倒だ。
Sacrificing teammates just to win is putting the cart before the horse.