吃后悔药

吃後悔藥
chīhòuhuǐyào
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 to regret what one has done
  2. 2 to wish one could undo something (literally: to take regret medicine)

Examples

HSK 4
Nǐ xiànzài bù hǎohǎo xuéxí, yǐhòu huì chī hòuhuǐyào de.
If you don't study hard now, you'll regret it later.
HSK 5
Xiànzài cái xiǎngqǐ lái, chī hòuhuǐyào yě méiyòng le.
Only thinking of it now - there's no point in regretting it anymore.

Tips

culture
Often used in the negative: 没有后悔药可吃 / 没卖后悔药 ('no regret-pill exists / no one sells regret-pills'), meaning what's done can't be undone. The imaginary 'regret pill' is the punchline.
memory
Picture a pharmacy where 后悔药 (regret pills) are eternally out of stock. The phrase only works because that medicine doesn't exist.

Stroke Order

吃 chī
后 hòu
悔 huǐ
药 yào