马后炮

馬後炮

mǎhòupào

noun HSK 7-9 #25,468

Meanings

1 hindsight; being wise after the event
2 a useless comment or action that comes too late

Characters

Examples

HSK 6

你这是马后炮，事后才说。

Nǐ zhè shì mǎhòupào, shìhòu cái shuō.

This is hindsight - you only say it after the fact.

HSK 6

别放马后炮了，早干嘛去了？

Bié fàng mǎhòupào le, zǎo gànmá qù le?

Stop with the hindsight. Where were you earlier?

Tips

history

From Chinese chess (象棋): the cannon (炮) attacks by jumping over a piece, but if you move the horse (马) away first and then fire the cannon, it is too late to be effective. Hence 'firing the cannon after the horse moves' = acting too late.

usage

放马后炮 (fàng mǎhòupào) is the verb form - 'to do/say something after the fact when it is no longer useful.' Similar to English 'Monday morning quarterback.'

Stroke Order

马 mǎ

后 hòu

炮 pào