# 前功尽弃

qián gōng jìn qì

Lose the value of all previous effort

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Abandon all earlier achievements

**Traditional Chinese:** 前功盡棄

**Register:** Concerned · general

[Effort & growth](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/effort)

## When to use it

Warn that a final mistake could undo accumulated progress.

It implies substantial earlier work, not merely a slow start.

## Understanding the expression

The expression looks backward at effort that had already produced something valuable. A later failure, abandonment, or serious mistake makes that earlier work count for little. It often warns someone to protect progress during the final stages of a task. The emphasis is not simply losing once, but losing what had been built over time. Sometimes recovery remains possible, so assess the actual damage before declaring everything wasted.

## Examples

最后一周别松懈，否则可能前功尽弃。

### Traditional Chinese

最後一週別鬆懈，否則可能前功盡棄。

zuì hòu yì zhōu bié sōng xiè ， fǒu zé kě néng qián gōng jìn qì 。

Do not slack off in the final week, or earlier efforts may be wasted.

忘记保存文件，让她几小时的工作前功尽弃。

### Traditional Chinese

忘記保存文件，讓她幾小時的工作前功盡棄。

wàng jì bǎo cún wén jiàn ， ràng tā jǐ xiǎo shí de gōng zuò qián gōng jìn qì 。

Forgetting to save made her hours of work go to waste.

练习了半年却不再坚持，他担心前功尽弃。

### Traditional Chinese

練習了半年卻不再堅持，他擔心前功盡棄。

liàn xí le bàn nián què bú zài jiān chí ， tā dān xīn qián gōng jìn qì 。

After six months of practice, he worried that stopping would waste his progress.

一次违规可能让球队整个赛季前功尽弃。

### Traditional Chinese

一次違規可能讓球隊整個賽季前功盡棄。

yí cì wéi guī kě néng ràng qiú duì zhěng gè sài jì qián gōng jìn qì 。

One rule violation could undo the team's whole season of effort.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E5%89%8D%E5%8A%9F%E7%9B%A1%E6%A3%84)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=378&webMd=1&la=0)

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