AdvancedChinese Idiom (成语)

覆水难收

fù shuǐ nán shōu

“Split water cannot be recovered”

Meaning: What's done cannot be undone; spilled water cannot be gathered up; irreversible actions; no turning back

Character-by-Character Breakdown

fù

覆

to cover / to overturn / to spill

to receive / to collect

HSK 3

The Story Behind 覆水难收

Source:《后汉书·何进传》

Period:Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE)

The Spilled Water

The idiom 覆水难收 comes from a story about Jiang Taigong (姜太公) during the Zhou Dynasty.

Jiang Taigong's wife left him when he was poor, thinking he would never succeed.

Later, when Jiang Taigong became successful and powerful, his wife wanted to return to him.

Jiang Taigong poured a basin of water on the ground and asked his wife to gather it back.

When she couldn't, he said: "Just as spilled water cannot be recovered, our relationship cannot be restored."

Original Classical Chinese

覆水难收，悔之无及。

How to Use 覆水难收

This idiom is used to describe situations where actions are irreversible and cannot be undone.

It emphasizes that once something is done, there is no way to go back or undo it.

The idiom is often used to warn against hasty decisions or to express regret about irreversible actions.

When to use:

Use when describing irreversible actions or decisions
Often used to warn against hasty decisions
Can be used to express regret about things that cannot be changed

Common Mistake

Don't confuse this with simply making a mistake. It specifically refers to irreversible actions or decisions that cannot be undone, not just any error.

Example Sentences

他已经做出了决定，覆水难收，无法改变了。

Tā yǐjīng zuòchū le juédìng, fù shuǐ nán shōu, wúfǎ gǎibiàn le.

He has already made the decision. What's done cannot be undone, and it cannot be changed.

话说出口就像覆水难收，要谨慎说话。

Huà shuō chūkǒu jiù xiàng fù shuǐ nán shōu, yào jǐnshèn shuōhuà.

Words spoken are like spilled water that cannot be recovered. Be careful with what you say.

这件事已经发生了，覆水难收，我们只能接受现实。

Zhè jiàn shì yǐjīng fāshēng le, fù shuǐ nán shōu, wǒmen zhǐ néng jiēshòu xiànshí.

This has already happened. What's done cannot be undone, and we can only accept reality.

Practice Writing

Generate a free printable worksheet with all 4 characters from this idiom.

Generate Worksheet (4 Characters)

Or explore each character:

覆stroke order 水stroke order 难stroke order 收stroke order

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 覆水难收 (fù shuǐ nán shōu) mean?

覆水难收 literally means "split water cannot be recovered." Figuratively, it means what's done cannot be undone, or that actions are irreversible. It emphasizes that once something is done, there is no way to go back.

What is the story behind 覆水难收?

The idiom comes from a story about Jiang Taigong (姜太公). His wife left him when he was poor. Later, when he became successful, she wanted to return. He poured water on the ground and asked her to gather it back. When she couldn't, he said their relationship, like the spilled water, could not be recovered.

How do you use 覆水难收 in a sentence?

Use 覆水难收 when describing irreversible actions. For example: "他已经做出了决定，覆水难收" (He has already made the decision. What's done cannot be undone). It emphasizes that something cannot be changed.

What is the opposite of 覆水难收?

The opposite is 亡羊补牢 (wáng yáng bǔ láo), meaning "to mend the fold after the sheep is lost" - better late than never. While 覆水难收 emphasizes irreversibility, 亡羊补牢 emphasizes that it's never too late to fix things.

Is 覆水难收 difficult to learn?

覆水难收 is considered advanced level. It uses characters of varying difficulty (覆 HSK6, 水 HSK1, 难 HSK3, 收 HSK3). The concept is clear and the idiom is commonly used in modern Chinese.