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功敗垂成

简功败垂成 · 繁功敗垂成

Mandarin · pinyin gōng bài chuí chéng

to fail within sight of success (idiom); last-minute failure
to fall at the last hurdle
snatching defeat from the jaws of victory

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Characters in this entry

功: gōng · achievement, merit, good result
敗: Look up this written character
垂: chuí · let down; suspend, hand; down
成: chéng · completed, finished, fixed
败: bài · be defeated, decline, fail

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–4–2–2 · gong1 bai4 chui2 cheng2

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

gung1 baai6 seoi4 sing4

Cantonese word readings for 功敗垂成. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to fail when victory is imminent

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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