# 失之交臂

shī zhī jiāo bì

Narrowly miss a person or opportunity

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Miss while arms pass close together

**Register:** Regretful · general

[Choices & judgment](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/decisions)

## When to use it

Describe almost obtaining something before losing the chance.

It suggests closeness, not a remote impossible prospect.

## Understanding the expression

Passing close enough for arms to meet makes a missed encounter feel especially frustrating. The expression describes an opportunity, prize, or meeting that came within reach but was not secured. A small delay or narrow score can supply the gap. It does not always imply fault; chance may intervene. The emotional emphasis is on proximity, which distinguishes a narrowly missed achievement from a goal that was never realistically available.

## Examples

他只差一分，与冠军失之交臂。

### Traditional Chinese

他只差一分，與冠軍失之交臂。

tā zhī chà yì fēn ， yǔ guàn jūn shī zhī jiāo bì 。

He missed the championship by just one point.

堵车让我们与最后一班车失之交臂。

### Traditional Chinese

堵車讓我們與最後一班車失之交臂。

dǔ chē ràng wǒ men yǔ zuì hòu yì bān chē shī zhī jiāo bì 。

Traffic made us narrowly miss the last bus.

她与奖学金失之交臂，却继续申请。

### Traditional Chinese

她與獎學金失之交臂，卻繼續申請。

tā yǔ jiǎng xué jīn shī zhī jiāo bì ， què jì xù shēn qǐng 。

She narrowly missed the scholarship but kept applying.

到机场晚了十分钟，我与老友失之交臂。

### Traditional Chinese

到機場晚了十分鐘，我與老友失之交臂。

dào jī chǎng wǎn le shí fēn zhōng ， wǒ yǔ lǎo yǒu shī zhī jiāo bì 。

Arriving ten minutes late, I just missed my old friend.

## 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%A4%B1%E4%B9%8B%E4%BA%A4%E8%87%82)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=437&webMd=1&la=0)

## Keep exploring

- [首鼠两端 shǒu shǔ liǎng duān Waver between two positions ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/shou-shu-liang-duan)

- [手足无措 shǒu zú wú cuò Be flustered and unsure how to act ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/shou-zu-wu-cuo)

- [束手无策 shù shǒu wú cè Be unable to find an effective solution ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/shu-shou-wu-ce)

- [束之高阁 shù zhī gāo gé Set something aside and ignore it ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/shu-zhi-gao-ge)

## Keep this one close.

Save useful idioms, read offline, and revisit them with flashcards in Almanac.

[View on the App Store ](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6819590452)

[Previous idiom 事在人为 ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/shi-zai-ren-wei) [Next idiom 手不释卷 ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/shou-bu-shi-juan)