坐失机宜

to sit and waste a good opportunity (idiom); to lose the chance

to sit / to take a seat / to take (a bus, airplane etc) / to bear fruit / variant of 座[zuo4]

(bound form) machine; mechanism / (bound form) aircraft / (bound form) an opportunity / (bound form) crucial point; pivot / (bound form) quick-witted; flexible / (bound form) organic

to lose / to miss / to fail

surname Yi

proper / should / suitable / appropriate

guidelines / what to do (under given circumstances)

to let sth slip by / to miss an opportunity