驷马难追

Pronunciation: sì mǎ nán zhuī Literal meaning: Four horses can't catch

Origin & Usage

A team of four horses (驷) was the fastest thing on a Chinese road, and the saying holds that even it cannot catch (难追) a word once it has been spoken. The Analects puts the same thought more tersely — 驷不及舌, four horses do not overtake the tongue — in a rebuke about speaking carelessly of other people. The full modern form is usually given as 一言既出，驷马难追: once a word is out, four horses will not bring it back. It works as a warning before speaking, but far more often it is used to hold someone to a promise they would now prefer to revise.

Examples

English: "He carefully considered his public statement, knowing its impact would be irreversible"

Chinese: 他仔细考虑自己的公开声明，知道其影响将不可逆转