English-German translations for see the forest for the trees

• den Wald vor lauter Bäumen nicht sehen

Definition of see the forest for the trees

• To discern an overall pattern from a mass of detail; to see the big picture, or the broader, more general situation

Examples

• Smith is good at detail, but cant see the forest for the trees

Related words

• not see the forest for the trees
• you can't see the wood for the trees
• not see the wood for the trees