see the forest for the trees

English

Alternative forms

• see the forest through the trees
• see the wood for the trees
• see the forest but for the trees
• see the trees through the forest (very rare)

Verb

see the forest for the trees (third-person singular simple present sees the forest for the trees, present participle seeing the forest for the trees, simple past saw the forest for the trees, past participle seen the forest for the trees)

1. (idiomatic) To discern an overall pattern from a mass of detail; to see the big picture, or the broader, more general situation.

   Smith is good at detail, but can't see the forest for the trees.

2. (idiomatic, in the negative, by extension) To be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation.

Usage notes

• This is almost always used in negative constructions, often starting with can't, as it is a negative polarity item.
• The portion "forest for the tree" may seem grammatically nonsensical to modern speakers and learners who are not familiar with, or expecting, the Old English meaning of for (especially outside of an Old English context).
  • This older usage of for means "because of" or "due to", also found in "for want of a nail". The idiom may be more readily parsed today in the form [can't] see the forest, but for the trees.

Translations

to discern overall pattern from details

• Finnish: nähdä metsä puilta

to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 見樹不見林, 见树不见林 (jiàn shù bú jiàn lín), 盲人摸象 (zh) (mángrénmōxiàng)

• Danish: ikke se skoven for bare træer
• Dutch: door de bomen het bos niet meer zien
• French: l'arbre qui cache la forêt (fr)
• German: den Wald vor lauter Bäumen nicht sehen (de)
• Greek: βλέπουμε το δένδρο και χάνουμε το δάσος (vlépoume to déndro kai chánoume to dásos)
• Hebrew: מֵרֹב עֵצִים לֹא רוֹאִים אֶת הַיַּעַר‏‎ (he) (miróv 'etzím lo roím et hayá'ar)
• Japanese: 木を見て森を見ず (きをみてもりをみず, ki o mite mori o mizu)

• Norwegian: ikke se skogen for bare trær
• Portuguese: ver a floresta pelas árvores
• Romanian: a nu vedea pădurea din cauza copacilor
• Russian: не ви́деть ле́са за дере́вьями (ru) impf (ne vídetʹ lésa za derévʹjami) (various word order is possible)
• Serbo-Croatian: od drveta ne videti šumu, од дрвета не видети шуму
• Slovene: zaradi dreves ne videti gozda
• Spanish: no dejar los árboles ver el bosque
• Swedish: inte se skogen för alla träd (sv)

See also

• big picture
• bigger fish to fry
• bird's-eye view
• gestalt
• gist
• grand scheme
• overview