前功尽弃

前功盡棄

qiángōngjìnqì

idiom #18,389

Meanings

1 to waste all one's previous efforts
2 all that has been achieved goes down the drain

Characters

previous; before

achievement; merit

completely; entirely

to abandon; to discard

Examples

你现在放弃就前功尽弃了！

Nǐ xiànzài fàngqì jiù qiángōngjìnqì le!

If you give up now, all your previous efforts will be wasted!

千万不能前功尽弃。

Qiānwàn bù néng qiángōngjìnqì.

We absolutely must not let all our hard work go to waste.

Tips

history

From the Records of the Grand Historian (史记). A general was about to win a battle but retreated at the last moment, losing everything he had fought for.

Stroke Order

前 qián

功 gōng

尽 jǐn

弃 qì