后患

後患

hòuhuàn

noun #30,788

Meanings

1 future trouble
2 lasting consequences (of something done badly or left unresolved)

Characters

trouble, calamity

Examples

斩草要除根，否则后患无穷。

Zhǎn cǎo yào chú gēn, fǒuzé hòuhuàn-wúqióng.

When cutting weeds you must dig out the roots, or there will be endless future trouble.

现在不处理，将来必有后患。

Xiànzài bù chǔlǐ, jiānglái bì yǒu hòuhuàn.

If we don't deal with it now, there will surely be trouble down the line.

Tips

usage

Almost always appears in fixed expressions: 后患无穷 ('endless future trouble') and 以绝后患 ('to eliminate future trouble'). The latter is the standard reason given when finishing off an enemy in wuxia and historical fiction.

Stroke Order

后 hòu

患 huàn