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悔不当初

悔不當初
huǐbù-dāngchū
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

HSK 3
早知道后果，他悔不当初。
Zǎo zhīdào hòuguǒ, tā huǐbù-dāngchū.
If he'd known the consequences, he'd never have done it.
HSK 7-9
赌博让他倾家荡产，真是悔不当初。
Dǔbó ràng tā qīngjiā-dàngchǎn, zhēnshì huǐbù-dāngchū.
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 ('had I known').

Stroke Order

悔 huǐ
不 bù
当 dāng
初 chū