重蹈覆轍

Chinese

 
heavy; serious; to double
heavy; serious; to double; to repeat; repetition; iteration; again; a layer
 
tread on; trample; stamp
tread on; trample; stamp; fulfil
track of an overturned cart; disastrous policy; previous failure
trad. (重蹈覆轍) 覆轍
simp. (重蹈覆辙) 覆辙
Literally: “to go on the tracks of an overturned cart again”.

Etymology

Based on the Book of the Later Han:

前事覆車 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
前事覆车 [Literary Chinese, simp.]
From: The Book of the Later Han, circa 5th century CE
Jīn bù lǜ qiánshì zhī shī, xún fùchē zhī guǐ. [Pinyin]
Now [we] are not considering past mistakes and following the tracks of an overturned cart again.

Pronunciation


Note: cung4 tou1 fuk1 cit3 - common misreading.

Idiom

重蹈覆轍

  1. to repeat the same mistake; to recommit the same error

Synonyms

  • 復蹈其轍复蹈其辙
  • 復蹈前轍复蹈前辙
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