後車之鑒 hòu chē zhī jiàn

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. warning to the following cart (idiom); don't follow the track of an overturned cart
  2. fig. draw lesson from the failure of one's predecessor
  3. learn from past mistake
  4. once bitten twice shy

CHARACTERS

後 hòu behind, rear, after; descendents
車 chē cart, vehicle; carry in cart
之 zhī
HSK 4
marks preceding phrase as modifier of following phrase; it, him her, them; go to
鑒 jiàn mirror, looking glass; reflect