前功尽弃

Pronunciation: qián gōng jìn qì Literal meaning: Previous achievements abandoned

Origin & Usage

The idiom 前功尽弃 (qián gōng jìn qì) originates from a historical context during the Warring States period, as recorded in the Western Han dynasty texts like 《战国策》 (Zhànguó Cè) and 《史记》 (Shǐjì). The story involves the Qin general Bai Qi, who was advised by Su Li to feign illness and retreat to avoid risking his previous achievements in a precarious battle. Bai Qi ignored this advice and continued his military campaign. The idiom literally means 'previous achievements are completely abandoned' (前, previous; 功, achievements; 尽, completely; 弃, abandon). It serves as a cautionary reminder to maintain perseverance and not to let past efforts go to waste by giving up prematurely. In modern usage, it describes situations where previous efforts are rendered futile due to a lack of persistence or a strategic misstep.

Examples

English: "After all the hard work, losing the final match felt like throwing everything away."

Chinese: 经过所有的努力，最后一场比赛的失利让人觉得前功尽弃。