留有余地 liú yǒu yú dì Leave room

Explanation

比喻说话办事留下可以回旋的地方，给自己留有退路。

A metaphor for leaving room for maneuver when speaking and acting, keeping an escape route open for oneself.

Origin Story

从前，有个木匠名叫老张，技艺精湛，远近闻名。一天，一位富商请他为府上打造一套精致的红木家具。老张欣然接受，精心设计，一丝不苟。家具完成后，富商赞不绝口，付了全款。老张心里十分高兴，但临走时，他特意留下了一块未雕琢的木料，说是备用，以防万一。富商不解，老张解释说：这红木家具价值不菲，万一哪块部件损坏，可以随时补救，这样做不仅能保证家具的质量，也能体现做工的精益求精。富商听后恍然大悟，对老张更加敬佩。这个故事告诉我们：做任何事情都要留有余地，未雨绸缪，才能做到万无一失。

cóngqián, yǒu gè mùjiàng míngjiào lǎo zhāng, jìyì jīngzhàn, yuǎnjìn wénmíng. yītiān, yī wèi fùshāng qǐng tā wèi fǔshàng dǎzào yī tào jīngzhì de hóngmù jiājù. lǎo zhāng xīn rán jiēshòu, jīngxīn shèjì, yīsī bù gǒu. jiājù wánchéng hòu, fùshāng zàn bù jué kǒu, fù le quán kuǎn. lǎo zhāng xīn lǐ shífēn gāoxìng, dàn lín zǒu shí, tā tèyì liú xià le yī kuài wèi diāozhuó de mùliào, shuō shì bèiyòng, yǐ fáng wàn yī. fùshāng bù jiě, lǎo zhāng jiěshì shuō: zhè hóngmù jiājù jiàzhí bù fēi, wàn yī nǎ kuài bùjiàn sǔnhuài, kěyǐ suíshí bǔjiù, zhèyàng zuò bùjǐn néng bǎozhèng jiājù de zhìliàng, yě néng tǐxiàn zuògōng de jīngyìqiújīng. fùshāng tīng hòu huǎngrán dàwù, duì lǎo zhāng gèngjiā jìngpèi. zhège gùshì gàosù wǒmen: zuò rènhé shìqíng dōu yào liú yǒu yú dì, wèiyǔchóuméi, cáinéng zuòdào wàn wú shī.

Once upon a time, there was a carpenter named Lao Zhang, known for his superb craftsmanship. One day, a wealthy merchant asked him to craft a set of exquisite rosewood furniture for his mansion. Lao Zhang readily accepted and meticulously designed and crafted the furniture. Upon completion, the merchant was full of praise and paid in full. Lao Zhang was overjoyed, but as he left, he intentionally left behind a piece of uncarved wood, saying it was for spare parts, just in case. The merchant was puzzled, but Lao Zhang explained that since the rosewood furniture was so valuable, if any part were damaged, it could be easily replaced. This ensured quality and showcased meticulous attention to detail. The merchant, enlightened, admired Lao Zhang even more. This story teaches us to always leave room for contingencies and to be prepared for the unexpected.

Usage

用于形容说话做事留有余地，不把话说死，给自己留有回旋的余地。

yòng yú xíngróng shuōhuà zuòshì liú yǒu yú dì, bù bǎ huà shuō sǐ, gěi zìjǐ liú yǒu huíxuán de yú dì

Used to describe leaving room for maneuver when speaking and acting, not committing oneself, and keeping an escape route open.

Examples

• 在谈判中，留有余地才能更好地掌控局势。

  zài tánpàn zhōng, liú yǒu yú dì cáinéng gèng hǎo de zhǎngguǎn júshì

  Leaving room for maneuver is essential in negotiations.

• 做人做事都要留有余地，给自己留条后路。

  zuòrén zuòshì dōu yào liú yǒu yú dì, gěi zìjǐ liútíòuhòulù

  Always have a backup plan.

• 与其咄咄逼人，不如留有余地，这样才能更好地与人相处。

  yǔqí duōduōbībìrén, bùrú liú yǒu yú dì, zhèyàng cáinéng gèng hǎo de yú rén xiāngchǔ

  It's better to be lenient than aggressive towards someone, so that you can get along better with others

Related Idioms

• 留余地

• 灵活变通

Opposite Idioms

• 不留余地

• 斩钉截铁