功亏一篑

功亏一篑功虧一簣 gōng kuī kuì ㄍㄨㄥ ㄎㄨㄟ ㄧ ㄎㄨㄟˋ gung1 kwai1 jat1 gwai6

  • lit. to ruin the enterprise for the sake of one basketful
  • to fail through lack of a final effort
  • to spoil the ship for a ha'penny worth of tar (idiom)

Stroke order

Practice writing

Draw 功 (1 of 4) — stroke by stroke.

Draw each stroke of the character in order using your mouse or finger. A hint appears after three misses.

Character breakdown