slip through one's fingers (id-verb-phrase)

Arabic: يفلت من بين أصابعه (yuflit min bayn asabiʿihi)

Chinese (Mandarin): 从指间溜走 (cóng zhǐjiān liūzǒu)

French: échapper des mains / filer entre les doigts

German: durch die Finger gleiten

Hindi: हाथ से निकल जाना (haath se nikal jana)

Japanese: 指の間をすり抜ける (yubi no aida o surinukeru)

Korean: 손가락 사이로 빠져나가다 (sonkarak sairo ppajyeonagada)

Polish: wymykać się z rąk

Portuguese: escorregar entre os dedos

Russian: ускользнуть из рук (uskol'znut' iz ruk)

Spanish: escaparse de entre los dedos

Thai: หลุดลอยไปจากมือ (lut loi pai chak mue)

Turkish: parmakların arasından kayıp gitmek

Vietnamese: tuột khỏi tay

Figurative Idiom: The meaning of the phrase cannot be understood literally but conveys a metaphorical idea of losing something valuable.

To lose or miss an opportunity, often due to carelessness or circumstances beyond one’s control.
To fail to keep or hold onto something valuable.

He had the perfect chance to apologise, but he let it slip through his fingers.
The precious artifact slipped through their fingers when the auction ended unexpectedly.
Don’t let this opportunity slip through your fingers - act now!

Ask an open question and understand your conversation partners’s views.
Make sure to ask follow ups, and remember: this is a conversation, not an interview!

Tell a personal story. Something that has happened to you, or somebody you know.
Or tell us about something that you have done or seen.
Your conversation partners must then follow up with you or reciprocate with their own stories.

Ask an open question and understand your conversation partners’s views.
Make sure to ask follow ups, and remember: this is a conversation, not an interview!

Tell a personal story. Something that has happened to you, or somebody you know.
Or tell us about something that you have done or seen.
Your conversation partners must then follow up with you or reciprocate with their own stories.

Slip Through One’s Fingers