What does 万无一失 mean?

万无一失 (wàn wú yī shī) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “perfectly safe”.

How do you pronounce 万无一失?

万无一失 is pronounced wàn wú yī shī in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 万无一失 literally mean?

Literally, 万无一失 means “ten thousand without a single error”. It is used to mean “perfectly safe”.

Where does 万无一失 come from?

万无一失 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 万无一失?

失：差错。指非常有把握，绝对不会出差错。

万无一失 — “Perfectly safe”

万无一失 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “perfectly safe”. Absolutely foolproof; no chance of a slip-up; bound to succeed. Literally, “ten thousand without a single error”.

Frequency

万无一失 Pronunciation and Pinyin

万wàn
无wú
一yī
失shī

万无一失 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
万	wàn	3	ten thousand
无	wú	4	without, not having
一	yī	1	one, a, single, whole
失	shī	5	lose, miss, or fail

Example Sentence with 万无一失

这项精心设计的计划，确保了整个项目的实施过程万无一失

This meticulously designed plan ensures that the entire project implementation process is perfectly safe and foolproof.

Origin and Story of 万无一失

In 203 BC, Han Xin, a general of the Han dynasty, conquered the State of Qi and was subsequently appointed King of Qi by Liu Bang.

Kuai Tong, Han Xin's advisor, analyzed the political situation and recognized Han Xin's pivotal role. He advised Han Xin not to remain loyal to Liu Bang but to establish himself as an independent ruler, thus creating a three-way division of power with Chu and Han.

Kuai Tong argued that by continuing to follow Liu Bang, Han Xin would at best only be granted a title of a vassal lord. He stressed that success or failure depended on this crucial decision, and acting at that moment would be "wan wu yi shi" (absolutely foolproof).

However, Han Xin did not heed Kuai Tong's advice.

Idioms Related to 万无一失

Synonyms of 万无一失

Antonyms of 万无一失

guà挂yī一lòu漏wàn万mention a few, omit many

More idioms starting with 万

Questions about 万无一失

What does 万无一失 mean?: 万无一失 (wàn wú yī shī) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “perfectly safe”.
How do you pronounce 万无一失?: 万无一失 is pronounced wàn wú yī shī in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 万无一失 literally mean?: Literally, 万无一失 means “ten thousand without a single error”. It is used to mean “perfectly safe”.
Where does 万无一失 come from?: 万无一失 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 万无一失?: 失：差错。指非常有把握，绝对不会出差错。

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