本末転倒
Reading: ほんまつてんとう
Meaning: getting one's priorities wrong, putting the cart before the horse
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Example Sentence
資料 の 内容 を おろそかに して 見た目 ばかり に こだわる の は 、 本末転倒 だ
To neglect the content of the materials and only focus on the appearance is getting your priorities wrong.
Usage Notes
本末転倒 is a four-character idiom (yojijukugo) that literally means 'origin and end inverted'. It describes a situation where the fundamental, important aspects of something are confused with the trivial, secondary ones. It's used to criticize a misplaced focus or a flawed approach where the means have become more important than the end goal.
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