有去无回 (yǒu qù wú huí) — to have no return; to cross the Rubicon; to be a point of no return

Definition

An idiom for an irreversible, all-or-nothing step — 'point of no return'. Used for decisive actions where going back is impossible.

idiom
to have no returnto cross the Rubiconto be a point of no return

Examples

  • ，有去无回。
    Zhè cì tóu zī fēng xiǎn hěn dà, zī jīn kě néng yǒu qù wú huí.
    This investment is very risky; the funds may be gone forever.
  • ，有去无回。
    Tā jué dìng lí kāi jiā xiāng, tà shàng yǒu qù wú huí de lù.
    He decided to leave his hometown and set out on a journey with no return.
  • ，有去无回。
    Zhè ge xuǎn zé yí dàn zuò chū, jiù shì yǒu qù wú huí le.
    Once this choice is made, it's a point of no return.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

有去there is going
有yǒuhave去qùgo/going
动宾Verb + object
无回no return
无wúwithout回huíreturn
动宾Verb + object

Juxtaposes 有去 (there is going) and 无回 (no return), so the trip has no way back.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

去 pairs 大, a man, with 口, a mouth or object. The evidence reads this as a man leaving a place, a man opening his mouth, or a cover over an object.

Open 去 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

回 comes from a drawing of a spiral, showing something turning around.

Open 回 →

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