百密一疏
bǎi mì yī shū
one slip in an otherwise careful plan
Character by character
百bǎi
hundred
hundred
密mì
careful
careful
一yī
one
one
疏shū
lapse
lapse
Example
他把出行计划做得十分周到，可惜百密一疏，忘了带护照。
He planned the trip down to the last detail, but for one slip: he forgot his passport.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
Concedes a single flaw in careful work, without blaming anyone much; often after 难免, 终究 or 可以说是. It can describe a criminal’s fatal mistake or a search that missed one man.
Learn this in Lesson 194 · HSK 7–9: 二十八年后破案 (Solved after twenty-eight years)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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