机不可失，时不再来

Traditional form:

機不可失，時不再來

Pinyin (reading):

jībùkěshī,shíbùzàilái

Definitions:

• Opportunity knocks but once. (idiom)

Characters:

• 机 - desk; machine; moment, opportunity
• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 可 - may, can, -able; possibly
• 失 - to lose; to make a mistake, to neglect
• 时 - time, season; period, era, age
• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 再 - again, twice, re-
• 来 - to arrive, to come, to return; in the future, later on

Traditional characters:

• 機 - desk; machine; moment, opportunity
• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 可 - may, can, -able; possibly
• 失 - to lose; to make a mistake, to neglect
• 時 - time, season; period, era, age
• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 再 - again, twice, re-
• 來 - to arrive, to come, to return; in the future, later on