不咎既往

bùjiù-jìwǎng
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to not blame someone for past mistakes
  2. 2 to let bygones be bygones
  3. 3 to overlook past wrongs

Examples

Tā yǐjīng rèncuò le, wǒmen jiù bùjiù-jìwǎng ba.
He's already admitted his mistake, so let's let bygones be bygones.
Gōngsī juédìng bùjiù-jìwǎng, gěi tā yí gè jīhuì.
The company decided to overlook past mistakes and give him another chance.

Tips

history
From 《论语·八佾》: 成事不说遂事不谏既往不咎 - 'don't speak of what's done, don't remonstrate over what's settled, don't blame what's past.' Confucius's counsel against dwelling on the irreversible.
memory
= blame; 既往 = the already-passed. Literally 'not-blame what's already past.' Often appears in the original word order 既往不咎 with the same meaning.

Stroke Order

jiù
wǎng