功亏一篑

Traditional: 功虧一簣

gōng kuī yī kuì

Dictionary entry

lit. to ruin the enterprise for the sake of one basketful

What does 功亏一篑 mean?

功亏一篑 (gōng kuī yī kuì) has the following dictionary meaning.

1lit. to ruin the enterprise for the sake of one basketful

2to fail through lack of a final effort

3to spoil the ship for a ha'penny worth of tar (idiom)

Character breakdown

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功gōngmeritorious deed or service · achievement 亏kuīto lose (money); to have a deficit · to be deficient 一yīone · single 篑kuìbasket for carrying soil

Reviewed examples

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How to pronounce 功亏一篑

功亏一篑

gōng kuī yī kuì

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Base dictionary data: CC-CEDICT · CC BY-SA 4.0.