"Gong kui yi kui" (功亏一篑) comes from the Book of Documents, "Lü Ao": "When building a mountain nine ren high, the work falls short by one basketful." It means that when piling up a mountain nine ren high, one fails to complete it for lack of the last basketful of earth. It is a metaphor for failing to succeed when only a little final effort remains, and it carries a deep sense of regret and sorrow. This idiom emphasizes the importance of persevering to the end and is often used to describe situations in which one fails when close to the goal because of slackening, negligence, or an accident. It is used in a wide range of contexts, such as studies, career, competitions, and engineering; whenever success is within reach but failure occurs at the last moment, it can be used. Its emotional tone is somewhat derogatory, but more than that it conveys regret and warning, reminding people that in a journey of a hundred li, ninety is only half, and the closer one gets to the end, the more one must persevere. In cultural background, it embodies the Confucian values of perseverance and caution to the end, and is similar in meaning to "give up halfway" and "all previous efforts wasted," but it more strongly highlights the regret of "being only one step short."
📝 Example
1. The experiment had been underway for three years, yet in the final stage it fell short of success because of data loss—a truly regrettable outcome. (A metaphor for failing to succeed when only a little more effort was needed.)
2. The team led all the way in the final, but conceded two goals just before the end and fell short of success, missing out on the championship. (A metaphor for failing when victory was near.)