一念之差 (yī niàn zhī chā) — a momentary lapse in judgment with severe repercussions
Definition
A chengyu meaning one bad thought in a single moment led to disaster — a momentary lapse in judgment with life-changing consequences. Sets up a cause-and-effect regret ('if only I hadn't…').
noun
a momentary lapse in judgment with severe repercussions
Examples
- 一念之差。yī niàn zhī chā Dǎo zhì tā shī qù le zuì hǎo de jī huì.A momentary slip caused him to lose the best opportunity.
- 一念之差，。Jiù yīn wèi yī niàn zhī chā, tā de rén shēng cóng cǐ gǎi biàn le.Just because of a momentary wrong decision, his life changed from then on.
- 。Nà ge shì gù wán quán shì yí niàn zhī chā zào chéng de.That accident was entirely caused by a momentary lapse in judgment.
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