一言既出，駟馬難追

Chinese

		one sentence; something to say; brief remark	already; since; both... (and...)	to go out; to come out; to occur to go out; to come out; to occur; to produce; to go beyond; to rise; to put forth; to happen; (a measure word for dramas, plays, or operas)		words cannot be taken back once they are spoken
trad. (一言既出，駟馬難追)		一言	既	出	，	駟馬難追
simp. (一言既出，驷马难追)		一言	既	出	，	驷马难追
Literally: “once said, a team of horses cannot unsay it”.

Etymology

Based on a passage in the Analects, Book 12 (《論語·顏淵》):

子貢曰：「惜乎！夫子之說君子也。駟不及舌。……」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

---

子贡曰：「惜乎！夫子之说君子也。驷不及舌。……」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Zǐgòng yuē: “Xī hū! Fūzǐ zhī shuō jūnzǐ yě. Sì bùjí shé.......” [Pinyin]

Zigong said: "How regrettable are your words about the superior person. A four-horse-team cannot overtake the tongue. [...]"

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yīyánjìchū, sìmǎnánzhuī

  (Zhuyin): ㄧ ㄧㄢˊ ㄐㄧˋ ㄔㄨ , ㄙˋ ㄇㄚˇ ㄋㄢˊ ㄓㄨㄟ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jat¹ jin⁴ gei³ ceot¹, si³ maa⁵ naan⁴ zeoi¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yīyánjìchū, sìmǎnánzhuī [Phonetic: yìyánjìchū, sìmǎnánzhuī]
    • Zhuyin: ㄧ ㄧㄢˊ ㄐㄧˋ ㄔㄨ , ㄙˋ ㄇㄚˇ ㄋㄢˊ ㄓㄨㄟ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yiyánjìchu, sìhmǎnánjhuei
    • Wade–Giles: i¹-yen²-chi⁴-chʻu¹, ssŭ⁴-ma³-nan²-chui¹
    • Yale: yī-yán-jì-chū-, sz̀-mǎ-nán-jwēi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: iyanjihchu, syhmaananjuei
    • Palladius: ияньцзичу, сымананьчжуй (ijanʹcziču, symananʹčžuj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ jɛn³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ sz̩⁵¹ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ nän³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu̯eɪ̯⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jat¹ jin⁴ gei³ ceot¹, si³ maa⁵ naan⁴ zeoi¹
    • Yale: yāt yìhn gei chēut, si máh nàahn jēui
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jat⁷ jin⁴ gei³ tsoet⁷, si³ maa⁵ naan⁴ dzoey¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yed¹ yin⁴ géi³ cêd¹, xi³ ma⁵ nan⁴ zêu¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐt̚⁵ jiːn²¹ kei̯³³ t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ siː³³ maː¹³ naːn²¹ t͡sɵy̯⁵⁵/

Idiom

一言既出，駟馬難追

1. A word once spoken cannot be taken back; A promise must be kept

Related terms

• 君子一言，駟馬難追／君子一言，驷马难追 (jūnzǐ yīyán, sìmǎ nánzhuī)

Descendants

• Sino-Xenic (一言既出，駟馬難追):
• → Vietnamese: nhất ngôn ký xuất, tứ mã nan truy (一言既出，駟馬難追)
• → Japanese: 一言既(いちごんすで)に出(い)ずれば駟馬(しば)も追(お)い難(がた)し (ichigon sude ni izureba shiba mo oi gata shi) (calque)