📖 Meaning
Spilled water cannot be gathered back. This idiom conveys that what is done cannot be undone, and certain outcomes are irreversible. It is used to describe situations where the damage is final and no amount of regret can reverse the result.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Book of Later Han (《后汉书》), in the biography of He Jin (何进), a powerful general during the Eastern Han dynasty. When He Jin hesitated to take decisive action against the eunuch faction at court, an advisor warned him that state affairs, once set in motion, cannot be easily undone—just as spilled water cannot be retrieved. The phrase '覆水不收' was used to urge him to act decisively, for hesitation would lead to irreversible ruin. The idiom later became popularized through Ming dynasty literature, including Ling Mengchu's 'Slapping the Table in Amazement' (《初刻拍案惊奇》).
💡 Example Usage
既然已经离婚，覆水难收，就不要再纠缠了。
Since the divorce is already final, spilled water cannot be retrieved—there is no point in clinging on any longer.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 覆水难收
- Pinyin: fù shuǐ nán shōu
- Literal Translation: spilled, water, hard, to retrieve
- Category: Philosophy
- Characters: 4