Dictionary › 前车之覆，后车之鉴

前车之覆，后车之鉴

qián chē zhī fù , hòu chē zhī jiàn

9-character word Traditional 前車之覆，後車之鑒

What 前车之覆，后车之鉴 means

1. lit. the cart in front overturns, a warning to the following cart (idiom); fig. draw lesson from the failure of one's predecessor
2. learn from past mistake
3. once bitten twice shy

The characters in 前车之覆，后车之鉴

• 前qiánfront; forward; ahead
• 车chēcar; vehicle; machine
• 之zhī(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的; him; her
• 覆fùto cover; to overflow; to overturn
• 后hòuempress; queen; (archaic) monarch
• 车chēcar; vehicle; machine
• 之zhī(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的; him; her
• 鉴jiànbronze mirror (used in ancient times); to reflect; to mirror