– Manuscript –
Welcome to English in a Minute!
Forests are amazing places with lots of trees. But what could this mean?
Can’t See the Forest for the Trees
Speaker A: Hey, how is that children’s project going?
Speaker B: I’ve been working on it for so long. I can’t see the forest for the trees.
Speaker A: You should take a break. Come back in a few days. Then you’ll be able to see the whole story much better.
Speaker B: Good idea.
Lots of individual trees make up a forest. If you can’t “see the forest for the trees,” you’re not able to understand a situation fully because you are too focused on the small details. Think of each detail as a tree. And the major issue as a forest.
*This article has been edited and reprinted from VOA Learning English with permission from Voice of America (VOA) for use in English language materials.
English 
日本語