覆水难收
fù shuǐ nán shōu
what is done cannot be undone
Character by character
覆fù
spilt
spilt
水shuǐ
water
water
难nán
hard
hard
收shōu
gather
gather
Example
话已经说出口了，覆水难收，他后悔也来不及了。
The words were already out: spilt water can’t be gathered up, and it was too late for regrets.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
An early form, 覆水不可收, is in the 《后汉书》; the idiom is popularly linked to a legend about Jiang Taigong (姜太公): his wife left him while he was poor, and when he rose to high office and she asked to come back, he poured water on the ground and told her to gather it up. Used of broken marriages, hasty words and any decision that cannot be taken back.
Learn this in Lesson 152 · HSK 7–9: 离婚冷静期 (The divorce cooling-off period)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
Open the lesson →