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悔不当初

悔不當初
huǐbùdāngchū
idiom #57,284

Meanings

  1. 1 to deeply regret an earlier decision
  2. 2 to wish one had acted differently at the start
  3. 3 if only I'd known

Examples

早知道后果，他悔不当初。
Zǎo zhīdào hòuguǒ, tā huǐbùdāngchū.
If he'd known the consequences, he'd never have done it.
赌博让他倾家荡产，真是悔不当初。
Dǔbó ràng tā qīngjiādàngchǎn, zhēn shì huǐbùdāngchū.
Gambling cost him everything; he truly regrets ever starting.

Tips

history
From Tang poet Xue Zhaowei's 《谢银工》: 早知文字多辛苦，悔不当初学冶银 — 'had I known writing would bring such hardship, I'd have learned silversmithing instead'.
usage
Strong regret after the fact. Often paired with 早知如此 (zǎo zhī rúcǐ, 'had I known').

Stroke Order

悔 huǐ
不 bù
当 dāng
初 chū