CYChengyu Dictionary

Chengyu meaning

机不可失 (jī bù kě shī)

an opportunity must not be missed

Plain Answer

Source: Classical opportunity-timing maxim in Chinese usage. Treated here as story image; read it first as a sentence-level judgment.

Core meaning: 机不可失 means an opportunity must not be missed: Used when timing matters and a real opportunity will not remain open forever. It urges timely action, not reckless action.

Practice this meaningRead the story
Label
positive / common formal
Best objects
student opportunity, business timing, risk boundary
Do not use when
Do not use 机不可失 for a scene that only shares one surface word with the meaning. If the problem is closer to 风云际会 or the contrast points toward 守株待兔, choose that nearby entry instead of stretching this one.

Use: Use 机不可失 when the student opportunity sentence shows the object, cause, and tone clearly. Avoid: Avoid 机不可失 when the sentence only sounds related, lacks evidence, or needs a plainer word.

student opportunity这个交流项目名额有限，机不可失。Zhège jiāoliú xiàngmù míng'é yǒuxiàn, jībùkěshī.Places in this exchange program are limited, so this opportunity should not be missed.

Next: Read the examples, then compare 风云际会 before practicing 机不可失 in the focused quiz.

Often studied with: 风云际会, 破釜沉舟, 近水楼台

Read This First

机不可失 is introduced here through a story-image idiom where the image guides modern use; the source label is Classical opportunity-timing maxim in Chinese usage, and the page separates that background from modern sentence choice.

机不可失 means an opportunity must not be missed. The important first reading is Used when timing matters and a real opportunity will not remain open forever. It urges timely action, not reckless action. This is a positive phrase in normal use, so the sentence must show the judgment clearly.

Use 机不可失 when the object, cause, and tone match examples such as student opportunity, business timing, risk boundary; then compare 风云际会 and 破釜沉舟 before writing your own sentence.

Avoid 机不可失 when the sentence only shares a broad topic, when the tone would be unfair to the person being described, or when a plainer word would be clearer than a chengyu.

Start with this cue: student opportunity plus a visible reason.

Meaning and Translation Notes

Used when timing matters and a real opportunity will not remain open forever. It urges timely action, not reckless action.

Literal meaning

the chance cannot be lost

  • 机 / opportunity
  • 不 / not
  • 可 / can
  • 失 / lose

English equivalents

  • do not miss the opportunity plain

    The safest modern translation.

  • seize the chance near

    Natural when the tone is encouraging.

  • the timing will not wait plain

    Useful when explaining urgency.

How To Use It

Use 机不可失 when the reader can see why an opportunity must not be missed is the exact judgment, not just the topic. A strong sentence names the actor, the thing being judged, and the evidence that makes this idiom more precise than an ordinary adjective.

  • Use it when an opportunity is timely and limited.
  • It often appears in advice, announcements, business decisions, and personal planning.
  • The phrase can be energetic, but it should still point to a real chance.

Common Mistakes

Do not use 机不可失 for a scene that only shares one surface word with the meaning. If the problem is closer to 风云际会 or the contrast points toward 守株待兔, choose that nearby entry instead of stretching this one.

  • Do not use it to pressure action when no concrete opportunity exists.
  • Do not treat it as permission for recklessness; preparation and fit still matter.

Wrong Use Clinic

The most useful check is often the phrase you should reject.

  1. The learner wants to sound more idiomatic but has only a broad topic match for 机不可失.

    The sentence drops in 机不可失 without showing the cause, object, or tone that would make the idiom necessary.

    Fix: Rewrite the sentence so the evidence for an opportunity must not be missed appears before or after the phrase.

    机不可失 fails in this case because a chengyu is not decoration; it must name the exact judgment the sentence is making.

    Compare feng yun ji hui

  2. The learner wants to say the opposite or a neighboring idea and chooses 机不可失 because it feels familiar.

    The sentence uses 机不可失, but the described situation points to a different cause, time point, or social attitude.

    Fix: Compare the sentence with 守株待兔 and choose the phrase whose boundary explains the situation with less force.

    机不可失 becomes misleading when the nearby phrase would identify the real problem more cleanly.

    Compare shou zhu dai tu

  3. The learner has the right meaning area for 机不可失 but ignores register and emotional force.

    The sentence uses 机不可失 directly about a person, yet gives no softening context or evidence for such a urgent encouragement judgment.

    Fix: Add the observed behavior first, or choose 破釜沉舟 if the sentence needs a gentler learning path.

    机不可失 can sound heavier than a short English gloss. The reader needs enough context to see why the tone is fair.

    Compare po fu chen zhou

  4. The learner remembers the origin image of 机不可失 but applies it to the wrong object.

    The sentence names an image or story detail, but the real object being judged would be better explained by another chengyu.

    Fix: Name the object first. If the object points toward 刻舟求剑, use that contrast instead.

    机不可失 should follow the judgment, not the most memorable image. Story memory is useful only when it supports the sentence-level decision.

    Compare ke zhou qiu jian

Chengyu Often Studied Together

Use these clusters to build sentence-level judgment instead of memorizing a single gloss.

  1. 机不可失 with nearby learner choices

    机不可失 is often studied beside 风云际会 and 破釜沉舟 because the words share a theme while asking the learner to judge a different cause, tone, or timing.

    老师先让学生解释机不可失，再比较风云际会和破釜沉舟，这样不会只凭英文近义词选答案。

    feng yun ji huipo fu chen zhou

  2. 机不可失 with contrast checks

    机不可失 becomes easier to use when it is contrasted with 近水楼台 and 守株待兔; the contrast forces the writer to decide whether the sentence is praise, warning, correction, or neutral description.

    写作练习里先用机不可失造句，再换成近水楼台，观察判断方向怎样改变。

    jin shui lou taishou zhu dai tufeng yun ji hui

  3. 机不可失 in example-building drills

    机不可失 should be practiced with 风云际会 and 近水楼台 because examples reveal whether the learner is choosing by meaning, tone, or only by a remembered image.

    课堂上先用机不可失写一个有证据的句子，再换成风云际会或近水楼台说明判断为什么改变。

    feng yun ji huijin shui lou taipo fu chen zhou

  4. 机不可失 in story and source review

    机不可失 links best with 破釜沉舟 and 守株待兔 when the learner is checking whether a source image truly supports a modern sentence.

    复习出处时，不要只背机不可失的故事，还要比较破釜沉舟，看哪个成语更能解释现代句子。

    po fu chen zhoushou zhu dai tufeng yun ji hui

Learner Guide

Use these notes when deciding whether this chengyu fits a real sentence.

Use ji bu ke shi when timing is part of the meaning. The sentence should explain why the opportunity may close or why acting later would not be the same. It can appear in study, business, career, and public advice.

Do not miss the opportunity is the safest translation. Seize the chance is energetic and natural, but it can sound too motivational if the sentence lacks evidence. The timing will not wait is useful when the limited window is the main point.

Do not use this idiom to pressure blind action. If preparation is missing, xiong you cheng zhu or bu bu wei ying may be more relevant. If the situation is a rare convergence, feng yun ji hui may explain the background better.

A strong learner sentence names the window: deadline, quota, season, policy change, market timing, or invitation. Without a window, the phrase loses its reason.

Before using 机不可失, write the plain English idea first. If the plain sentence already says everything naturally, the chengyu must add a sharper judgment, cultural image, or tone. If it does not add one of those, leave the plain wording alone.

A good 机不可失 sentence contains an object and evidence. The object is the person, plan, habit, result, or scene being judged. The evidence is the reason the phrase fits. Without both parts, the idiom may look learned but feel empty.

Compare 机不可失 with 风云际会 and 守株待兔 before finalizing a sentence. The goal is not to memorize synonyms; the goal is to reject the wrong phrase for a clear reason. That rejection is what turns recognition into usable knowledge.

When teaching or self-reviewing 机不可失, ask the learner to mark source, meaning, use case, wrong case, and one example. If any mark is missing, return to the entry section that supplies it rather than guessing from the headword alone.

student opportunity is the first test zone for 机不可失, but it is not the only possible use. Before using the phrase, name the speaker, the object being judged, and the nearest tested context: student opportunity, business timing, risk boundary, usage boundary, misuse boundary, comparison check, context setup, teacher correction. Then choose among do not miss the opportunity, seize the chance, the timing will not wait as translation candidates and reject at least one candidate out loud. A useful final check is to compare the sentence with feng-yun-ji-hui and po-fu-chen-zhou; if one of those nearby entries explains the situation with less strain, the nearby phrase is the better learner choice.

When 机不可失 is translated as do not miss the opportunity, the English should still preserve the phrase's tone. Keep urgent encouragement and the caution use area visible when the audience is still learning the idiom. If a short translation hides the warning "Do not use it to pressure action when no concrete opportunity exists.", choose a fuller English explanation instead. This matters because the strongest chengyu pages should help readers decide when not to use the most convenient English equivalent.

Example Sentences

Each example labels the situation so you can choose a natural English translation.

student opportunity

这个交流项目名额有限，机不可失。

Zhège jiāoliú xiàngmù míng'é yǒuxiàn, jībùkěshī.

Places in this exchange program are limited, so this opportunity should not be missed.

business timing

市场窗口很短，团队认为机不可失。

Shìchǎng chuāngkǒu hěn duǎn, tuánduì rènwéi jībùkěshī.

The market window is short, and the team believes the chance cannot be missed.

risk boundary

机不可失不等于盲目行动，准备还要跟上。

Jībùkěshī bù děngyú mángmù xíngdòng, zhǔnbèi hái yào gēnshàng.

Not missing the chance does not mean acting blindly; preparation still has to keep up.

usage boundary

只有原因和语气都清楚时，这句话才适合用机不可失。

zhi you yuan yin he yu qi dou qing chu shi zhe ju hua cai shi he yong ji bu ke shi

Only use 机不可失 when the cause and tone are both clear, not just because the topic feels nearby.

misuse boundary

如果只是普通情况，不要为了显得有文化而硬说机不可失。

ru guo zhi shi pu tong qing kuang bu yao wei le xian de you wen hua er ying shuo ji bu ke shi

If the situation is ordinary, do not force 机不可失 just to make the sentence sound more cultured.

comparison check

比较近义成语以后，再决定这里是不是应该写机不可失。

bi jiao jin yi cheng yu yi hou zai jue ding zhe li shi bu shi ying gai xie ji bu ke shi

After comparing nearby chengyu, decide whether 机不可失 is really the phrase the sentence needs.

context setup

这段话先说明对象和原因，所以机不可失读起来不突兀。

zhe duan hua xian shuo ming dui xiang he yuan yin suo yi ji bu ke shi du qi lai bu tu wu

The passage names the object and cause first, so 机不可失 does not feel abrupt.

teacher correction

老师让学生先解释为什么不用别的词，再用机不可失造句。

lao shi rang xue sheng xian jie shi wei shen me bu yong bie de ci zai yong ji bu ke shi zao ju

The teacher asks students to explain why another phrase would be wrong before writing a sentence with 机不可失.

Story and Cultural Context

机不可失 is often learned with the fuller warning that opportunity, once lost, may not return in the same form. The phrase is short, which makes it easy to misuse as a motivational slogan. Its real force comes from timing. There must be a chance that matters, a window that can close, and a reason action now is different from action later. Modern use appears in study, work, business, and public advice. Ji bu ke shi is short enough to become a slogan, so learners need a stricter test. The opportunity must be real, limited, and relevant. A sale, application window, market opening, invitation, or timing shift can justify the phrase. General ambition does not. The idiom encourages action, but it does not erase preparation. In careful writing, the best sentence shows both the chance and the reason delay would matter. For this entry, the origin note is only the beginning of the explanation. The useful question is why 机不可失 survived as a portable judgment rather than as a decorative allusion. The story image route gives the reader an image, but the modern sentence must still prove its own fit. A learner should ask three things: what concrete object is being judged, what evidence in the sentence supports that judgment, and what tone the phrase adds that a plain English adjective would not add. This is why the page tests 机不可失 through student opportunity, business timing, risk boundary, usage boundary, misuse boundary; each context changes the pressure on the phrase and shows whether the idiom is acting as praise, warning, neutral description, or criticism. The story or usage background also has a translation boundary. 机不可失 can point toward do not miss the opportunity, seize the chance, the timing will not wait, but those English choices are not interchangeable. One version may preserve the image, another may sound natural in a classroom answer, and another may be safer in a workplace or essay sentence. The entry therefore treats public references as source cards, not as a paragraph order to imitate. Headword checks, story labels, and English equivalents are separated first; only after that are they rebuilt into the learner path used here: answer, label, examples, wrong-use clinic, comparison, story, and practice. The most common failure is overextension. Because 机不可失 has a memorable surface, learners may reach for it whenever a topic feels close. The better habit is to compare it with 风云际会 and 破釜沉舟 and with 守株待兔 and 刻舟求剑 before writing. If the rejected phrase is hard to reject, the sentence probably has not supplied enough evidence. If the rejected phrase is easy to reject, the learner can explain the boundary and use 机不可失 with confidence. That is the practical purpose of the origin section: it turns cultural memory into a sentence-level decision instead of leaving the reader with a story and no next action.

Learning point: A real opportunity has timing, and timing can be lost.

Open the dedicated story page

Editorial Notes

These notes turn the entry into a decision path, not a loose definition.

First answer before details

机不可失 should first be read as a decision about an opportunity must not be missed, not as a collectible story label. The story image helps memory, but the reader's real task is to decide whether the modern sentence is making a positive judgment with enough evidence. Start with the object being described, then ask what happened, who is being judged, and whether the tone is fair. If those details are missing, the idiom will feel like learned decoration rather than useful Chinese. This first-answer rule also helps teachers and translators: they can explain the phrase quickly before deciding whether a longer story, comparison, or correction block is needed.

Example clinic

The examples for 机不可失 deliberately cover student opportunity, business timing, risk boundary, usage boundary, misuse boundary because a learner needs more than one successful sentence before the phrase becomes usable. Read the Chinese sentence, then explain in plain English why this phrase is more precise than a simple adjective or loose translation. A strong example names the context, shows the evidence, and makes the tone visible. A weak example merely places the chengyu near a related topic. This habit prevents a common error: remembering the literal image but forgetting the social judgment carried by the phrase. When the example feels forced, return to the meaning line and choose a plainer wording.

Comparison boundary

Before using 机不可失, compare it with 风云际会 and 破釜沉舟 and, when possible, with 守株待兔 and 刻舟求剑. The comparison is not a synonym game. Nearby chengyu often share effort, caution, wisdom, or evaluation as a topic, while differing in cause, timing, and emotional force. A good learner sentence can explain why the rejected phrase fails. If that explanation is impossible, the chosen idiom is probably too loose. This is also the cleanest internal-link reason: the next page exists because it helps the reader reject a tempting but wrong choice. The comparison should leave a reusable rule, not merely another link to click.

Wrong-use trigger

机不可失 should be rejected when the sentence lacks an object, hides the reason for the judgment, or uses the idiom only because it sounds literary. The safest correction is to rewrite the sentence in plain English first, then add the chengyu only if it sharpens the meaning. If the tone becomes unfair, choose a gentler nearby phrase. If the source image is memorable but the modern object does not match, use the story only as background and do not force the idiom into the sentence. This wrong-use trigger is what keeps the entry from becoming a long but vague dictionary page.

Source synthesis note

机不可失 uses public references as checkpoints rather than as a structure to copy. One source may help with the headword, another with a story or image, and another with English translation range. The page then rebuilds those checks into its own learner order: short answer, label, examples, misuse, collocation, guide, story, and practice. This matters because a single-source paraphrase would give readers a familiar-looking article but not a better learning tool. The editorial value here is the decision path: what to use, what not to use, what to compare, and how to test the phrase in a new sentence.

Practice This Decision

Answer a focused quiz question, then come back to the examples and misuse clinic if the near phrase feels tempting.

Start focused quizReview mistakes first