====== dé cùn jìn chǐ: 得寸进尺 - Give an inch, take a mile; Insatiably Greedy ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **Keywords:** dé cùn jìn chǐ, 得寸进尺, give an inch take a mile in Chinese, insatiable greed Chinese idiom, greedy person Chinese, Chinese chengyu, Chinese idiom about greed, how to say someone is pushy in Chinese, HSK 6 vocabulary.
  * **Summary:** Learn the powerful Chinese idiom **得寸进尺 (dé cùn jìn chǐ)**, the direct equivalent of "give them an inch, and they'll take a mile." This page breaks down its literal meaning ("get an inch, advance a foot"), cultural significance, and practical usage. Discover how to use this Chengyu to describe someone who is insatiably greedy, pushy, and never satisfied with what they are given.
===== Core Meaning =====
<hanziwriter>得寸进尺</hanziwriter>
  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** dé cùn jìn chǐ
  * **Part of Speech:** Chengyu (成语) / Idiom (often functions as a verb or adjective)
  * **HSK Level:** HSK 6
  * **Concise Definition:** After gaining an inch, one tries to advance a foot; to be insatiably greedy or demanding.
  * **In a Nutshell:** This idiom paints a vivid picture of someone who, upon receiving a small concession, immediately demands a much larger one. It perfectly captures the feeling of dealing with a person who is ungrateful and constantly pushing boundaries. It's almost always used in a negative, critical way to describe someone's unacceptable greed or pushiness.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **得 (dé):** To get, to obtain, to receive.
  * **寸 (cùn):** A traditional Chinese "inch." It represents a small amount or a small gain.
  * **进 (jìn):** To advance, to move forward, to press on.
  * **尺 (chǐ):** A traditional Chinese "foot" (equal to 10 寸). It represents a much larger amount or a bigger goal.
The characters literally combine to mean "get an inch, advance a foot." This step-by-step progression from a small gain (寸) to a much larger demand (尺) makes the meaning of insatiable greed crystal clear.
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
The idiom **得寸进尺** is deeply rooted in Chinese cultural values that emphasize moderation, gratitude, and social harmony. To be accused of being `得寸进尺` is a serious social criticism. It implies that a person lacks self-awareness (没有自知之明), is ungrateful, and disrupts the unspoken balance of reciprocity in relationships.
A common related value is **知足常乐 (zhī zú cháng lè)**, meaning "contentment brings constant happiness." `得寸进尺` is the direct opposite of this virtue. It describes someone who can never be content and whose desires are a bottomless pit.
**Comparison to Western Culture:** The English phrase "Give an inch, take a mile" is a near-perfect translation. However, the cultural weight can be slightly different. In some aggressive Western business contexts, pushing boundaries might occasionally be viewed as a sign of a "go-getter" (though it's still generally negative). In a Chinese context, being `得寸进尺` is almost universally condemned as a character flaw that harms relationships and shows a profound lack of respect for the other party's generosity.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
This is a common idiom used in various situations to criticize greedy or overly demanding behavior.
  * **Connotation:** Strongly negative. You would use it to complain about someone, not to praise them.
  * **Formality:** Used in both spoken and written Chinese, from casual conversations among friends to more formal business discussions or commentaries.
**Common Scenarios:**
  * **In Personal Relationships:** Complaining about a friend, family member, or partner who is never satisfied. "I agreed to help him move a sofa, but then he asked me to redecorate his whole apartment. He's so `得寸进尺`!"
  * **In Business Negotiations:** Describing a client or partner who keeps adding new demands after an agreement has been reached. "We offered them a 10% discount, and now they are **得寸进尺**, asking for free shipping and a two-year warranty."
  * **In the Workplace:** Talking about a colleague who takes credit for your work or constantly asks for "small favors" that become larger burdens.
===== Example Sentences =====
  * **Example 1:** 
    * 我已经答应帮你辅导数学了，你不要**得寸进尺**，还让我帮你写作业。
    * Pinyin: Wǒ yǐjīng dāyìng bāng nǐ fǔdǎo shùxué le, nǐ búyào **dé cùn jìn chǐ**, hái ràng wǒ bāng nǐ xiě zuòyè.
    * English: I already agreed to help you with math tutoring, don't **get an inch and want a foot** by also asking me to do your homework for you.
    * Analysis: A clear warning used in a personal context. It establishes a boundary and directly calls out the other person's unreasonable request.
  * **Example 2:** 
    * 这家公司太**得寸进尺**了，我们每次让步，他们都会提出更过分的要求。
    * Pinyin: Zhè jiā gōngsī tài **dé cùn jìn chǐ** le, wǒmen měi cì ràngbù, tāmen dōu huì tíchū gèng guòfèn de yāoqiú.
    * English: This company is so **insatiable**. Every time we make a concession, they come up with even more unreasonable demands.
    * Analysis: Used in a business context to describe the frustrating behavior of a negotiating partner. "过分 (guòfèn)" means "excessive" or "unreasonable" and often appears alongside this idiom.
  * **Example 3:** 
    * 对待这种**得寸进尺**的人，你一开始就不能太软弱。
    * Pinyin: Duìdài zhè zhǒng **dé cùn jìn chǐ** de rén, nǐ yī kāishǐ jiù bùnéng tài ruǎnruò.
    * English: When dealing with this kind of **pushy/greedy** person, you can't be too soft from the very beginning.
    * Analysis: This sentence gives advice on how to handle someone with this character trait. It uses `得寸进尺` adjectivally to modify "人 (rén)".
  * **Example 4:** 
    * 孩子要了一个玩具，你给他买了，他马上又要第二个，真是**得寸进尺**。
    * Pinyin: Háizi yào le yí ge wánjù, nǐ gěi tā mǎi le, tā mǎshàng yòu yào dì'èr ge, zhēnshì **dé cùn jìn chǐ**.
    * English: The child asked for a toy, you bought it for him, and he immediately wanted a second one. That's really a case of **giving an inch and taking a mile**.
    * Analysis: A classic example of using the idiom to describe a child's demanding behavior.
  * **Example 5:** 
    * 我们必须对他们的侵略行为保持警惕，防止他们**得寸进尺**。
    * Pinyin: Wǒmen bìxū duì tāmen de qīnlüè xíngwéi bǎochí jǐngtì, fángzhǐ tāmen **dé cùn jìn chǐ**.
    * English: We must remain vigilant against their aggressive actions to prevent them from **pushing for more after each gain**.
    * Analysis: This demonstrates a more formal usage, often seen in political or international relations contexts.
  * **Example 6:** 
    * 他这个人，你帮他一次，他就会**得寸进尺**，以后什么事都来找你。
    * Pinyin: Tā zhège rén, nǐ bāng tā yí cì, tā jiù huì **dé cùn jìn chǐ**, yǐhòu shénme shì dōu lái zhǎo nǐ.
    * English: With a person like him, if you help him once, he'll **get an inch and want a foot**, and then he'll come to you for everything in the future.
    * Analysis: This is a common warning one friend might give another about a third person who is known to be an opportunist.
  * **Example 7:** 
    * 做人不能太**得寸进尺**，要学会感恩。
    * Pinyin: Zuòrén bùnéng tài **dé cùn jìn chǐ**, yào xuéhuì gǎn'ēn.
    * English: As a person, you can't be too **greedy and demanding**; you must learn to be grateful.
    * Analysis: This sentence expresses a core cultural value, contrasting the negative behavior with the positive virtue of gratitude (感恩).
  * **Example 8:** 
    * 最初他只是借点小钱，后来竟然**得寸进尺**，想骗走我所有的积蓄。
    * Pinyin: Zuìchū tā zhǐshì jiè diǎn xiǎoqián, hòulái jìngrán **dé cùn jìn chǐ**, xiǎng piàn zǒu wǒ suǒyǒu de jīxù.
    * English: At first, he just borrowed a little money, but later he **got greedier and greedier**, trying to cheat me out of all my savings.
    * Analysis: Shows a progression of negative behavior over time, where `得寸进尺` marks the turning point toward more serious actions.
  * **Example 9:** 
    * 我同意你晚交一天报告，但你别**得寸进尺**，想拖一个星期。
    * Pinyin: Wǒ tóngyì nǐ wǎn jiāo yì tiān bàogào, dàn nǐ bié **dé cùn jìn chǐ**, xiǎng tuō yí ge xīngqī.
    * English: I agree to let you hand in the report one day late, but don't **push your luck** and try to drag it out for a week.
    * Analysis: A clear and direct use of "别 (bié)" to command someone to stop their `得寸进尺` behavior. "Push your luck" is a good contextual translation here.
  * **Example 10:** 
    * 那个客户的**得寸进尺**让整个团队都感到非常疲惫。
    * Pinyin: Nàge kèhù de **dé cùn jìn chǐ** ràng zhěnggè tuánduì dōu gǎndào fēicháng píbèi.
    * English: That client's **insatiable demandingness** made the entire team feel exhausted.
    * Analysis: Here, the idiom is used as a noun phrase (`...的得寸进尺`) to refer to the behavior itself as the cause of a problem.
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
  * **Mistake 1: Confusing it with ambition.**
    * **`得寸进尺`** is not about being ambitious or wanting to succeed. Ambition (e.g., [[雄心]] xióngxīn) can be positive. `得寸进尺` specifically describes the negative behavior of making unreasonable demands *after* someone has already been generous to you. It implies a lack of gratitude.
    * **Incorrect:** 他努力工作，想升职，真是得寸进尺。(He works hard and wants a promotion, he's so `dé cùn jìn chǐ`.) - **WRONG.** This is ambition.
    * **Correct:** 老板刚给他加了薪，他就得寸进尺地要求换一个更大的办公室。(The boss just gave him a raise, and he immediately `dé cùn jìn chǐ`-ly demanded a bigger office.) - **CORRECT.** This shows greed following a gain.
  * **Mistake 2: Using it for any large request.**
    * This idiom is most appropriate when there's a clear "inch" that was given first. It describes an *escalation* of demands. Simply making a big request out of the blue isn't `得寸进尺`.
    * **Example:** Asking your boss for a 50% raise might be unreasonable (过分), but it's not `得寸进尺` unless they had just given you a 10% raise last week.
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  * `[[贪得无厌]] (tān dé wú yàn)` - A direct synonym meaning "greedy and never satisfied." It's slightly more formal and focuses on the internal state of greed, whereas `得寸进尺` often describes the external action.
  * `[[人心不足蛇吞象]] (rén xīn bù zú shé tūn xiàng)` - "A man's heart is not satisfied; a snake tries to swallow an elephant." A vivid and powerful idiom describing boundless, self-destructive greed.
  * `[[变本加厉]] (biàn běn jiā lì)` - To become even worse; to intensify. This often describes how a person's `得寸进尺` behavior escalates over time.
  * `[[贪心]] (tānxīn)` - The common, everyday word for "greedy" (adjective) or "greed" (noun). `得寸进尺` is a specific, idiomatic expression of `贪心` behavior.
  * `[[知足常乐]] (zhī zú cháng lè)` - A philosophical concept and the direct antonym in principle. "One who is content is always happy."
  * `[[适可而止]] (shì kě ér zhǐ)` - To stop at the right moment; to not overdo it. This is the behavior one should adopt to avoid being `得寸进尺`.
  * `[[让步]] (ràng bù)` - To make a concession. This is often the "inch" that the `得寸进尺` person receives before demanding a "mile."