功虧一簣 gōng kuī yī kuì

to fail through lack of a final effort

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. to fail through lack of a final effort
  2. 2. lit. to ruin the enterprise for the sake of one basketful
  3. 3. to spoil the ship for a ha'penny worth of tar (idiom)

Characters

Character Meaning
功 gōng HSK 4
meritorious deed or service; achievement; accomplishment
虧 kuī
deficiency; deficit; luckily
一 yī HSK 1
one; 1; single
簣 kuì
basket for carrying soil