see the forest for the trees

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John Heywood documented the English use of the proverb in 1546.

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Chinese Mandarin: 因小見大 /因小见大 — to discern overall pattern from details
• Chinese Mandarin: 見微知著 /见微知著 (jiànwēizhīzhù) — to discern overall pattern from details
• Finnish: nähdä metsä puilta — to discern overall pattern from details
• Chinese Mandarin: 見樹不見林 /见树不见林 (jiàn shù bú jiàn lín) — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Chinese Mandarin: 盲人摸象 (mángrénmōxiàng) — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Czech: pro stromy nevidí les — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Danish: ikke se skoven for bare træer — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Dutch: door de bomen het bos niet meer zien — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Esperanto: pro multo da arboj arbaron ne vidi — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• French: l'arbre qui cache la forêt — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• German: den Wald vor lauter Bäumen nicht sehen — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Greek: βλέπουμε το δένδρο και χάνουμε το δάσος (vlépoume to déndro kai chánoume to dásos) — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Hebrew: מֵרֹב עֵצִים לֹא רוֹאִים אֶת הַיַּעַר (miróv 'etzím lo roím et hayá'ar) — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Hungarian: nem látja a fától az erdőt — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Japanese: 木を見て森を見ず (ki o mite mori o mizu) — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Korean: 나무를 보고 숲을 보지 못한다 (namureul bogo supeul boji mothanda) — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Norwegian Bokmål: ikke se skogen for bare trær — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Norwegian Nynorsk: ikkje sjå skogen for berre tre — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Portuguese: ver a floresta pelas árvores — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Romanian: a nu vedea pădurea din cauza copacilor — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Russian: не ви́деть ле́са за дере́вьями (ne vídetʹ lésa za derévʹjami) — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Samoan: pikuku kekemoko tramoleningo — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Serbo-Croatian: od drveta ne videti šumu — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Serbo-Croatian: од дрвета не видети шуму — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Slovene: zaradi dreves ne videti gozda — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Spanish: no dejar los árboles ver el bosque — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation
• Swedish: inte se skogen för alla träd — to be overwhelmed by detail to the point where it obscures the overall situation