Definition
一着不慎 is the first half of the fixed phrase 一着不慎，满盘皆输, a chengyu from the game of go (围棋). It means 'one careless move at a critical point can lead to losing the whole game' — used metaphorically for any situation where a single mistake in a key decision causes complete failure. The word 着 here is pronounced zhāo (not zhe or zháo), referring to a move or step in a game or process.
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(set phrase) one careless move spoils the entire gamea single misstep leads to total failure
Examples
- ，一着不慎。Zài tóuzī juécè shàng, yì zhāo bú shèn jiù kěnéng dǎozhì quánbù kuīsǔn.In investment decisions, one careless move can lead to total loss.
- ，一着不慎，。Zuò xiàngmù jìhuà bìxū kǎolǜ zhōuquán, fǒuzé yì zhāo bú shèn, mǎn pán jiē shū.When planning a project you must think it through completely, otherwise one wrong move and you lose the whole game.
- ，一着不慎，。Tā xià qí shí guòyú zìxìn, jiéguǒ yì zhāo bú shèn, shū diào le zhěng chǎng bǐsài.He was overconfident in the chess game, and one careless move cost him the entire match.
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