dé得gainbù不notcháng偿compensateshī失loss
The gain does not make up for the loss; more trouble than it's worth.
Literal meaning
gain (得) — not (不) — compensate (偿) — loss (失)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase indicating that the benefits obtained are outweighed by the costs or sacrifices made.
Examples
wèi为le了shěng省qián钱mǎi买liè劣zhì质chǎn产pǐn品，zhēn真shi是dé得bù不cháng偿shī失。
It's really not worth it to buy inferior products in order to save money.
màoxiǎn tóuzī kěnéng huì débùchángshī.冒险投资可能会得不偿失。
Risky investments may not be worth the potential losses.
Usage & nuances
Used to warn against actions where the potential downsides outweigh the benefits.
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