开弓没有回头箭

開弓沒有回頭箭

kāigōng méiyǒu huítóu jiàn

proverb

Meanings

1 once the bow is drawn, there is no turning back the arrow
2 once started, there is no turning back

Characters

to draw (a bow); to open

not; there is no

Examples

HSK 5

既然签了合同，开弓没有回头箭，只能硬着头皮做下去。

Jìrán qiān le hétóng, kāigōng méiyǒu huítóu jiàn, zhǐnéng yìngzhetóupí zuò xiàqù.

Since the contract is signed, there's no turning back - we just have to grit our teeth and see it through.

HSK 5

改革已经启动，开弓没有回头箭。

Gǎigé yǐjīng qǐdòng, kāigōng méiyǒu huítóu jiàn.

The reforms are underway; there is no turning back now.

Tips

usage

This is a 俗语 (folk saying) rather than a classical four-character chengyu, so it functions as a whole sentence. Often deployed to signal resolve after a major decision has been made.

Stroke Order

开 kāi

弓 gōng

没 méi

有 yǒu

回 huí

头 tóu

箭 jiàn