覆水难收 fù shuǐ nán shōu Spilt water cannot be recovered

Explanation

比喻事情已成定局，无法挽回。

This idiom means that once something is done, it cannot be undone.

Origin Story

姜太公年轻时穷困潦倒，妻子马氏嫌弃他无能，离他而去。后来姜太公辅佐周文王成就一番事业，马氏又想回头，姜太公便取来一盆水泼在地上，说：‘覆水难收，你回不去了。’这便是‘覆水难收’的典故。

jiāng tāigōng niánqīng shí qióngkùn liáodǎo, qīzi mǎ shì xiánqì tā wú néng, lí tā ér qù. hòulái jiāng tāigōng fǔzuò zhōu wénwáng chéngjiù yīfān shìyè, mǎ shì yòu xiǎng huítóu, jiāng tāigōng biàn qǔ lái yī pén shuǐ pō zài dì shang, shuō: ‘fù shuǐ nán shōu, nǐ huí bù qù le.’ zhè biàn shì ‘fù shuǐ nán shōu’ de diǎngù.

In his youth, Jiang Taigong was poor and down on his luck. His wife, Ma Shi, left him because she considered him incompetent. Later, Jiang Taigong assisted Zhou Wenwang in achieving great success, and Ma Shi wanted to return, but Jiang Taigong took a bowl of water and poured it on the ground: 'Spilled water cannot be recovered, you cannot go back.' This is the origin of the idiom 'Spilled water cannot be recovered'.

Usage

用于比喻事情已经发生，无法挽回。

yòng yú bǐ yù shìqíng yǐjīng fāshēng, wúfǎ wǎnhuí

Used to illustrate that something has already happened and cannot be undone.

Examples

• 覆水难收，一切都已经晚了

  fù shuǐ nán shōu, yīqiè dōu yǐjīng wǎn le

  It's too late to undo what has been done.

• 这笔交易已经达成，覆水难收了

  zhè bǐ jiāoyì yǐjīng dáchéng, fù shuǐ nán shōu le

  The deal is done, there's no turning back now.

Related Idioms

• 木已成舟

• 一锤定音

Opposite Idioms

• 破镜重圆

• 柳暗花明