一去不返

yīqù-bùfǎn

idiom #23,938

Meanings

1 gone forever
2 never to return
3 past the point of no return

Characters

to go / to leave

Examples

那段美好的岁月已经一去不返了。

Nàduàn měihǎo de suìyuè yǐjīng yīqùbùfǎn le.

Those wonderful years are gone forever.

青春一去不返，要珍惜当下。

Qīngchūn yīqùbùfǎn, yào zhēnxī dāngxià.

Youth is gone once it passes — cherish the present.

Tips

usage

Often used with a nostalgic or regretful tone about time, opportunities, or an era that has passed. The variant 一去不复返 (yīqùbùfùfǎn) is also common and slightly more formal.

Stroke Order

一 yī

去 qù

不 bù

返 fǎn