南轅北轍

南辕北辙
nányuánběizhé
to act in a way that defeats one's purpose (idiom)

CEDICT

to be counterproductive; to run counter to; to work at cross-purposes; to sabotage your own progress; to go off in the wrong direction

Wiktionary

人的實際行動與期望相反

維基詞典

Entry Composition

1 南 nán south
2 轅 yuán
  1. shaft of a cart or carriage
  2. (bound form) entrance gate of a military camp or yamen; (fig.) government office
3 北 běi
  1. north
  2. (classical) to be defeated
4 轍 zhé
  1. rut; track of a wheel (Taiwan pr. chè)
  2. (coll.) the direction of traffic
  3. a rhyme (of a song, poem etc)
  4. (dialect) (usu. after 有 yǒu or 沒 méi) way; idea