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.]
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

Idiom

功虧一簣

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