千虑一失 — “A thousand considerations, one mistake”
千虑一失 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Even a very careful person or a wise man can make a mistake or overlook something”. Literally, “A thousand considerations, one mistake”.
Frequency
千虑一失 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 千qiān
- 虑lǜ
- 一yī
- 失shī
千虑一失 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 千虑一失
尽管这位经验丰富的工程师反复检查了设计图，但最终还是出现了一个小小的失误，真是千虑一失啊。
Although the experienced engineer repeatedly checked the design blueprints, a small error still occurred in the end; it was truly a case of 'a thousand considerations, one slip'.
Origin and Story of 千虑一失
During the Spring and Autumn period, Yan Ying, the prime minister of the State of Qi, was an upright and incorruptible official who lived a very simple life.
Qi Jinggong's subordinates witnessed Yan Ying's modest lifestyle and reported it to Duke Jing of Qi.
Duke Jing then sent a large sum of gold for Yan Ying to use for entertaining guests.
Yan Ying repeatedly declined the gift, saying, 'Even a sage, with a thousand considerations, will make one mistake; and even a fool, with a thousand considerations, will have one gain.'
Idioms Related to 千虑一失
Antonyms of 千虑一失
More idioms starting with 千
- qiān千wàn万mǎi买lín邻Good neighbors are invaluable
- qiān千sī丝wàn万lǚ缕numerous intricate and complex connections
- qiān千chéng乘wàn万qí骑Magnificent array of chariots and cavalry
- qiān千shèng乘zhī之guó国A powerful feudal state
- qiān千chéng乘zhī之wáng王A paramount sovereign or emperor
- qiān千le了wàn万dàng当everything properly settled and arranged
- qiān千liǎo了bǎi百liǎo了Everything is settled
- qiān千liǎo了bǎi百dàng当Everything properly arranged and settled
- qiān千rén人yī一miàn面all the same; lacking originality
- qiān千rén人suǒ所zhǐ指universally condemned
- qiān千rén人nuò诺nuò诺，，bù不rú如yī一shì士è谔è谔One honest critic is better than a thousand yes-men
- qiān千chóu仇wàn万hèn恨countless grudges and deep hatred
Questions about 千虑一失
- What does 千虑一失 mean?
- 千虑一失 (qiān lǜ yī shī) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Even a very careful person or a wise man can make a mistake or overlook something”.
- How do you pronounce 千虑一失?
- 千虑一失 is pronounced qiān lǜ yī shī in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 千虑一失 literally mean?
- Literally, 千虑一失 means “a thousand considerations, one mistake”. It is used to mean “Even a very careful person or a wise man can make a mistake or overlook something”.
- Where does 千虑一失 come from?
- 千虑一失 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 千虑一失?
- 失：错误。指聪明人的考虑，也会有不周到的地方。