早知今日，何必當初

See also: 早知今日，何必当初

Chinese

		to know earlier	today; nowadays; the present time		why; why on earth; why bother	originally; at first; at that time originally; at first; at that time; at the outset; in the first place
trad. (早知今日，何必當初)		早知	今日	，	何必	當初
simp. (早知今日，何必当初)		早知	今日	，	何必	当初
Literally: “if one had known about this day from the beginning, there would have been no point in starting”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zǎozhī jīnrì, hébì dāngchū

  (Zhuyin): ㄗㄠˇ ㄓ ㄐㄧㄣ ㄖˋ , ㄏㄜˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄉㄤ ㄔㄨ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zou² zi¹ gam¹ jat⁶, ho⁴ bit¹ dong¹ co¹
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): chá-chai kim-li̍t hô͘-pit tong-chho͘

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zǎozhī jīnrì, hébì dāngchū
    • Zhuyin: ㄗㄠˇ ㄓ ㄐㄧㄣ ㄖˋ , ㄏㄜˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄉㄤ ㄔㄨ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: zǎojhih jinrìh, hébì dangchu
    • Wade–Giles: tsao³-chih¹ chin¹-jih⁴, ho²-pi⁴ tang¹-chʻu¹
    • Yale: dzǎu-jr̄ jīn-r̀-, hé-bì dāng-chū
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tzaojy jinryh, herbih dangchu
    • Palladius: цзаочжи цзиньжи, хэби данчу (czaočži czinʹži, xɛbi danču)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕin⁵⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹ xɤ³⁵ pi⁵¹ tɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zou² zi¹ gam¹ jat⁶, ho⁴ bit¹ dong¹ co¹
    • Yale: jóu jī gām yaht, hòh bīt dōng chō
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzou² dzi¹ gam¹ jat⁹, ho⁴ bit⁷ dong¹ tso¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: zou² ji¹ gem¹ yed⁶, ho⁴ bid¹ dong¹ co¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sou̯³⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ kɐm⁵⁵ jɐt̚² hɔː²¹ piːt̚⁵ tɔːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɔː⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Klang)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chá-chai kim-li̍t hô͘-pit tong-chho͘
    • Tâi-lô: tsá-tsai kim-li̍t hôo-pit tong-tshoo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zafzay kimlit ho'pid dongzhof
    • IPA (Klang): /t͡sa⁵³⁻³⁴ t͡sai³³ kim³³ lit̚³ hɔ²⁴⁻²² pit̚⁵³⁻⁵⁴ tɔŋ³³ t͡sʰɔ³³/

Idiom

早知今日，何必當初

1. to regret one's past behaviour

Synonyms

• 既有今日，何必當初／既有今日，何必当初 (jìyǒu jīnrì hébì dāngchū)
• 早知今日，悔不當初／早知今日，悔不当初 (zǎozhī jīnrì, huǐ bù dāngchū)
• (Hakka) 早知拉尿，企到天光