覆水难收 fù shuǐ nán shōu

DEFINITIONS

  1. spilt water is difficult to retrieve (idiom)
  2. it's no use crying over spilt milk
  3. what's done is done and can't be reversed
  4. the damage is done
  5. once divorced, there's no reuniting

CHARACTERS

覆 fù cover; tip over; return; reply
水 shuǐ water, liquid, lotion, juice
难 nán difficult, arduous, hard; unable
收 shōu gather together, collect; harvest