只见树木，不见森林
zhǐ​jiàn​shù​mù​bù​jiàn​sēn​lín

to fail to see the big picture

  1. 只见 只見 zhǐ​jiàn
    to only see
    Only to see; to see nothing but
  2. 树木 樹木 shù​mù noun
    trees
    trees collectively; arbor
  3. ， bù
    non-Chinese
  4. 不见 不見 bù​jiàn verb
    not to see
    not to see; not to meet; to not see each other
  5. 森林 sēn​lín noun
    forest
    a large area of land covered with a dense growth of trees and underbrush; a complex community of plants and animals