失之毫釐，差之千里

a tiny lapse can lead to a huge mistake (idiom); a minor discrepancy leading to enormous losses

to lose / to miss / to fail

(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5]) / him / her / it

hair / drawing brush / (in the) least / one thousandth / currency unit, 0.1 yuan

Li (c. 2000 BC), sixth of the legendary Flame Emperors 炎帝[Yan2 di4] descended from Shennong 神農|神农[Shen2 nong2] Farmer God, also known as Ai 哀[Ai1]

one hundredth / centi-

difference; discrepancy / (math.) difference (amount remaining after a subtraction) / (literary) a little; somewhat; slightly

different / wrong; mistaken / to fall short; to lack / not up to standard; inferior / Taiwan pr. [cha1]

to send (on an errand) / (archaic) person sent on such an errand / job; official post

used in 參差|参差[cen1 ci1]

thousand

see 鞦韆|秋千[qiu1 qian1]

a thousand miles / a thousand li (i.e. 500 kilometers) / a long distance

variant of 裡|里[li3]

lining / interior / inside / internal / also written 裏|里[li3]

li, ancient measure of length, approx. 500 m / neighborhood / ancient administrative unit of 25 families / (Tw) borough, administrative unit between the township 鎮|镇[zhen4] and neighborhood 鄰|邻[lin2] levels