How do you pronounce 驷马难追?

驷马难追 is pronounced sì mǎ nán zhuī in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 驷马难追 literally mean?

Literally, 驷马难追 means “a four-horse chariot cannot overtake (a spoken word)”. It is used to mean “a word once spoken cannot be recalled”.

Where does 驷马难追 come from?

驷马难追 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 驷马难追?

一句话说出了口，就是套上四匹马拉的车也难追上。指话说出口，就不能再收回，一定要算数。

驷马难追 — “A word once spoken cannot be recalled”

驷马难追 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a word once spoken cannot be recalled”. What is said cannot be unsaid and must be honored. Literally, “A four-horse chariot cannot overtake (a spoken word)”.

Frequency

驷马难追 Pronunciation and Pinyin

驷sì
马mǎ
难nán
追zhuī

驷马难追 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
驷	sì	8	team of four horses
马	mǎ	3	horse, big, large
难	nán	10	difficult, troublesome, or bad
追	zhuī	10	chase, pursue, seek

Example Sentence with 驷马难追

既然他已经许下了诺言，就必须兑现，因为君子一言，驷马难追

Since he has already made a promise, he must fulfill it, for a gentleman's word, once spoken, cannot be recalled.

Origin and Story of 驷马难追

During the Five Dynasties period, Shi Jingtang rebelled against the Tang Dynasty and was established as the "emperor son" of the Jin state by Yelü Deguang, the Khitan king.

After Shi Jingtang's death, his son Shi Chongguang succeeded him as Emperor Chu. In 944, the Khitan forces invaded the Jin state. Emperor Chu led his army to resist but was defeated.

Empress Dowager Li then wrote a letter of surrender, pleading with the Khitan emperor (whom she referred to as "Emperor Father") to spare their lives, emphasizing that her words were like a spoken oath that even a four-horse team could not overtake (驷马难追), meaning they were irreversible and dependable.

Idioms Related to 驷马难追

Synonyms of 驷马难追

sì驷bù不jí及shé舌A word spoken is past recalling

Antonyms of 驷马难追

More idioms starting with 驷

Questions about 驷马难追

What does 驷马难追 mean?: 驷马难追 (sì mǎ nán zhuī) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a word once spoken cannot be recalled”.
How do you pronounce 驷马难追?: 驷马难追 is pronounced sì mǎ nán zhuī in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 驷马难追 literally mean?: Literally, 驷马难追 means “a four-horse chariot cannot overtake (a spoken word)”. It is used to mean “a word once spoken cannot be recalled”.
Where does 驷马难追 come from?: 驷马难追 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 驷马难追?: 一句话说出了口，就是套上四匹马拉的车也难追上。指话说出口，就不能再收回，一定要算数。

Copy the pinyin for 驷马难追 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.