来者犹可追

來者猶可追

láizhěyóukězhuī

phrase

Meanings

1 what is yet to come can still be pursued
2 the future can still be caught up with
3 (lit.) that which is coming, still can be chased

Characters

that which / -er

Examples

过去的事别再纠结，来者犹可追。

Guòqù de shì bié zài jiūjié, lái zhě yóu kě zhuī.

Stop fretting over the past — the future is still within reach.

他三十岁才开始学编程，但相信来者犹可追。

Tā sānshí suì cái kāishǐ xué biānchéng, dàn xiāngxìn lái zhě yóu kě zhuī.

He only started learning to code at thirty, but he believes there's still time to catch up.

Tips

history

From 《论语·微子》 (Analects: Weizi), spoken by the 'madman of Chu' (楚狂接舆) as he passed Confucius singing: 『往者不可谏，来者犹可追』— 'the past can't be remonstrated with, but what's to come can still be pursued.' The line also echoes in Tao Yuanming's 《归去来兮辞》: 『悟已往之不谏，知来者之可追』.

usage

Almost always quoted as the second half of a couplet with 『往者不可谏』. Used to comfort someone dwelling on past mistakes — stop looking back; the road ahead is still yours.

Stroke Order

来 lái

者 zhě

犹 yóu

可 kě

追 zhuī