"Qián gōng jìn qì" means that all the efforts made and merits gained before are wasted, emphasizing that when something is close to success, it fails completely because of a momentary negligence or accident. This idiom originates from the Records of the Grand Historian: Basic Annals of Xiang Yu. It originally referred to military exploits being destroyed in an instant, and later came to be widely used to describe a failure at the final stage in scenarios such as study, work, and competition. Its deeper meaning lies in warning people to carry things through to the end and not to relax at the critical moment. When used, it often carries a tone of regret, pity, or admonition, and it is mostly used as a predicate, object, or attributive. In terms of cultural background, it reflects the traditional Chinese emphasis on perseverance and accumulation, and it shares a similar meaning with "the one who travels a hundred li is only half way there at ninety." For example, in scientific research tackling key problems, final exam preparation, or sports competitions, if a mistake in the last stage leads to overall failure, this idiom can be used to summarize it. It reminds people that success often depends on persistence at the end, and that any giving up or carelessness midway may cause all previous sweat to be shed in vain.
📝 Example
1. This experiment has been going on for three years. If we gave up just because of one data error, wouldn't all our previous efforts be wasted?
2. There is only one minute left in the match. We must not relax, or all our previous hard work will be undone.