A method for manufacturing a display substrate includes: providing a substrate; forming a film layer and a photoresist layer to be patterned on the substrate; exposing and developing the photoresist layer to form a photoresist pattern including a first photoresist pattern and a second photoresist pattern, the first photoresist pattern corresponding to a film layer pattern to be formed, and the second photoresist pattern being located on at least two opposite sides of the first photoresist pattern, and spaced apart from the first photoresist pattern; wet-etching the film layer to be patterned so that a film layer between the first photoresist pattern and the second photoresist pattern is etched, a film layer under the second photoresist pattern being detached from the substrate, and a film layer under the first photoresist pattern forming the film layer pattern.