满盘皆输 (mǎn pán jiē shū) — one false move can lose the whole game; a single mistake leads to total failure
Definition
Literally 'the whole board is lost' — from chess, meaning one careless move loses the entire game. Used to warn that a single mistake in any high-stakes situation can ruin everything.
idiom
one false move can lose the whole gamea single mistake leads to total failure
Examples
- ，满盘皆输。Zhè cì tóu zī yí bù zǒu cuò, jiù mǎn pán jiē shū le.One misstep in this investment, and the whole thing is lost.
- ，满盘皆输。Xià qí shí qiān wàn yào xiǎo xīn, fǒu zé yī zhe bú shèn mǎn pán jiē shū.When playing chess, you must be very careful, or one careless move will lose the entire game.
- ，满盘皆输。Tán pàn zhōng rèn hé yí gè xì jié dōu bù néng hū shì, bù rán kě néng mǎn pán jiē shū.In negotiations, you can't overlook any detail, or you risk losing everything.
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