万无一失
万无一失 (wàn wú yī shī) literally means “ten thousand without one failure” and expresses “absolutely sure; foolproof”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving strategy and action.
Also searched as: wan wu yi shi, wan wu yi shi,万无一失 meaning, 万无一失 in english
Absolutely sure; foolproof
Pronunciation: wàn wú yī shī Literal meaning: Ten thousand without one failure
Origin & Usage
Ten thousand (万) and not (无) one (一) miss (失). 万 is the standard Chinese figure for an uncountable number rather than a literal count, so what the phrase claims is a rate rather than a record. That makes it a statement about design: the thing has been arranged so that failure has no route in. Preparations and plans, very often in the negative or under pressure: 万无一失 is what a superior demands rather than what an engineer volunteers.
Examples
English: "The plan was designed to be absolutely foolproof."
Chinese: 计划设计得万无一失。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about strategy & action
塞翁失马
sài wēng shī mǎ
Misfortune might be a blessing
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城门失火
chéng mén shī huǒ
Innocent bystanders suffer from others' problems
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得不偿失
dé bù cháng shī
Gains not worth the cost or sacrifice
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患得患失
huàn dé huàn shī
Constantly anxious about gains and losses
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顾此失彼
gù cǐ shī bǐ
Unable to cover everything at once
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读万卷书
dú wàn juàn shū
Read extensively for knowledge
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万马奔腾
wàn mǎ bēn téng
Powerful unstoppable momentum
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千变万化
qiān biàn wàn huà
Ever-changing; constantly varying
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 万无一失 mean in English?
万无一失 (wàn wú yī shī) literally translates to “Ten thousand without one failure” and is used to express “Absolutely sure; foolproof”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Strategy & Action category.
When is 万无一失 used?
Situation: The plan was designed to be absolutely foolproof.
What is the pinyin for 万无一失?
The pinyin pronunciation for 万无一失 is “wàn wú yī shī”.