功虧一簣

功虧一簣

See also: 功亏一篑

Chinese

		merit; achievement; result merit; achievement; result; service; accomplishment	deficiency; deficit	one; single; a one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)	basket for carrying soil
trad. (功虧一簣)		功	虧	一	簣
simp. (功亏一篑)		功	亏	一	篑
Literally: “one basket (of dirt) short of success”.

Etymology

From the longer phrase (first part is usually omitted): 為山九仞，功虧一簣, attested in 《旅獒》, one of the chapters of the Book of Documents that are generally regarded as apocryphal (see 偽古文尚書). The phrase likely originated as a paraphrase from the Analects

子曰：「譬如為山，未成一簣，止，吾止也；譬如平地，雖覆一簣，進，吾往也。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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子曰：“譬如为山，未成一篑，止，吾止也；譬如平地，虽覆一篑，进，吾往也。” [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Zǐyuē: “Pìrú wéi shān, wèi chéng yī kuì, zhǐ, wú zhǐ yě; pìrú píng dì, suī fù yī kuì, jìn, wú wǎng yě.” [Pinyin]

The Master said, "(The prosecution of learning) may be compared to what may happen in raising a mound. If there want but one basket of earth to complete the work, and I stop, the stopping is my own work. It may be compared to throwing down the earth on the level ground. Though but one basketful is thrown at a time, the advancing with it is my own going forward."

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): gōngkuīyīkuì

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄥ ㄎㄨㄟ ㄧ ㄎㄨㄟˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gung¹ kwai¹ jat¹ gwai⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: gōngkuīyīkuì [Phonetic: gōngkuīyíkuì]
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄥ ㄎㄨㄟ ㄧ ㄎㄨㄟˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: gongkueiyikuèi
    • Wade–Giles: kung¹-kʻuei¹-i¹-kʻuei⁴
    • Yale: gūng-kwēi-yī-kwèi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gongkueiikuey
    • Palladius: гункуйикуй (gunkujikuj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʊŋ⁵⁵ kʰweɪ̯⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ kʰweɪ̯⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: gung¹ kwai¹ jat¹ gwai⁶
    • Yale: gūng kwāi yāt gwaih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gung¹ kwai¹ jat⁷ gwai⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: gung¹ kuei¹ yed¹ guei⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʊŋ⁵⁵ kʷʰɐi̯⁵⁵ jɐt̚⁵ kʷɐi̯²²/

Idiom

功虧一簣

1. to fall short of success due to the lack of a final effort

Related terms

• 功敗垂成／功败垂成 (gōngbàichuíchéng)
• 半途而廢／半途而废 (bàntú'érfèi)
• 前功盡棄／前功尽弃 (qiángōngjìnqì)