后患无穷
hòu huàn wú qióng
to store up endless trouble
Character by character
后hòu
later
later
患huàn
trouble
trouble
无wú
without
without
穷qióng
end
end
Example
合同里的漏洞现在不补上，将来一定后患无穷。
If the loopholes in the contract are not closed now, there will be no end of trouble later.
Tone: negative (criticism).
Usage and origin
A warning that a careless step or a problem left alone now will cause trouble for a long time; often after 否则 or 一旦…就…. Compare 后顾之忧 (lesson 9-16), worries about what you leave behind you.
Learn this in Lesson 196 · HSK 7–9: 个人信息保护 (Protecting personal information)
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.
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