baak3 mat6 jat1 so1百密一疏
Jyutpingbaak3 mat6 jat1 so1
Yalebaak maht yāt sō
Definition
To ruin a detailed plan because of a single, small oversight or miscalculation.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
This idiom is used to describe a situation where someone has been extremely careful or meticulous, yet a single, tiny detail was overlooked, leading to an unexpected failure. It carries a sense of irony or frustration because the effort put into the plan was otherwise perfect. It is often used to console someone or to explain why a seemingly foolproof plan went wrong.
Examples
keoi5佢gai3計waak6劃dak1得hou2好zau1周coeng4詳，dim2點zi1知baak3百mat6密jat1一so1疏，zeoi3最hau6後dou1都hai6係sat1失baai6敗zo2咗。
His plan was very thorough, but he had one small oversight and it failed in the end.
You are so careful with your work, how could you have such a small oversight?
Related words
Common phrases
the consequence of a small oversight
due to a small oversight
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a general term for making a mistake, but it specifically implies that the rest of the plan was actually very well-prepared. It should not be used for simple carelessness or lack of effort.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
