泼水难收 — “What is done cannot be undone”
泼水难收 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “What is done cannot be undone”. Things are past retrieve, signifying an irreversible situation or consequence. Literally, “Spilled water cannot be retrieved”.
泼水难收 Pronunciation and Pinyin
泼水难收 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 泼水难收
Origin and Story of 泼水难收
During the Han Dynasty, a scholar named Zhu Maichen was very poor in his youth. He supported himself by cutting and selling firewood daily. Despite his poverty, he was diligent in his studies, often reciting texts as he walked.
His wife, ashamed of his humble circumstances, eventually left him.
Years later, Zhu Maichen passed the imperial examinations and became a high-ranking official (a prefect).
His former wife then came to him, pleading for reconciliation. Zhu Maichen poured a basin of water on the ground in front of his horse and told her that if she could collect all the spilled water, he would take her back.
Idioms Related to 泼水难收
Synonyms of 泼水难收
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Open the tool →Questions about 泼水难收
What does 泼水难收 mean?
泼水难收 (pō shuǐ nán shōu) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “What is done cannot be undone”.
How do you pronounce 泼水难收?
泼水难收 is pronounced pō shuǐ nán shōu in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 泼水难收 literally mean?
Literally, 泼水难收 means “Spilled water cannot be retrieved”. It is used to mean “What is done cannot be undone”.
Where does 泼水难收 come from?
泼水难收 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to modern Chinese. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 泼水难收?
相传汉朱买臣因家贫，其妻离去，后买臣富贵，妻又求合。买臣取水泼洒于地，令妻收回，以示夫妻既已离异就不能再合。后用以比喻不可挽回的局面。