How do you pronounce 功败垂成?

功败垂成 is pronounced gōng bài chuí chéng in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 功败垂成 literally mean?

Literally, 功败垂成 means “Achievement fails as success is imminent”. It is used to mean “to fail just when success is within reach”.

Where does 功败垂成 come from?

功败垂成 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 功败垂成?

垂：接近，快要。事情在将要成功的时候遭到了失败。

功败垂成 — “To fail just when success is within reach”

功败垂成 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to fail just when success is within reach”. To suffer a setback on the very brink of victory. Literally, “Achievement fails as success is imminent”.

Frequency

功败垂成 Pronunciation and Pinyin

功gōng
败bài
垂chuí
成chéng

功败垂成 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
功	gōng	5	merit achievement work skill
败	bài	8	lose, fail, defeat, ruin
垂	chuí	8	to hang down
成	chéng	7	to become or succeed

Example Sentence with 功败垂成

这项耗费了大量心血的项目，眼看就要大功告成，却因为一个突发事件而功败垂成，令人倍感惋惜。

This project, which had consumed a great deal of effort, was on the verge of completion, but due to an unexpected incident, it failed on the verge of success, leaving everyone with deep regret.

Origin and Story of 功败垂成

During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, General Xie Xuan, under the command of his uncle Xie An, achieved a decisive victory in the Battle of Feishui, forcing Fu Jian, the ruler of Former Qin, to flee back to Guanzhong.

Capitalizing on the momentum, Xie Xuan pursued the retreating forces and recovered a vast amount of northern territory.

However, just as the north was on the verge of unification, the Eastern Jin emperor, swayed by slanderous remarks, ordered Xie Xuan to withdraw his troops and garrison them in Huaiyin.

The unification of the north thus remained unfulfilled, and people lamented that he had 'failed on the verge of success' (功败垂成).

Idioms Related to 功败垂成

Synonyms of 功败垂成

Antonyms of 功败垂成

dà大gōng功gào告chéng成Major undertaking successfully accomplished

More idioms starting with 功

Questions about 功败垂成

What does 功败垂成 mean?: 功败垂成 (gōng bài chuí chéng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to fail just when success is within reach”.
How do you pronounce 功败垂成?: 功败垂成 is pronounced gōng bài chuí chéng in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 功败垂成 literally mean?: Literally, 功败垂成 means “Achievement fails as success is imminent”. It is used to mean “to fail just when success is within reach”.
Where does 功败垂成 come from?: 功败垂成 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 功败垂成?: 垂：接近，快要。事情在将要成功的时候遭到了失败。

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