Definition
后悔莫及 is a chengyu (four-character idiom) meaning 'too late for regrets'. It's used as a warning: if you don't act in time, you'll regret it when it's too late to change anything. The literal image is that regret can't catch up (莫及 = cannot reach). You'll often see it in the construction 等到…再∼ or as a standalone warning phrase.
f.e.
too late for regrets(warning) you'll be sorry later
Examples
- ，后悔莫及。Rúguǒ nǐ xiànzài bù nǔlì, yǐhòu hòu huǐ mò jí.If you don't work hard now, it will be too late to regret later.
- ，后悔莫及。Tā dāngchū bù tīng quàngào, xiànzài hòu huǐ mò jí le.He didn't listen to advice at first, and now it's too late for regrets.
- 后悔莫及。Děng dào shìqíng fāshēng le zài hòu huǐ mò jí jiù wǎn le.If you wait until something happens, it will be too late to regret.
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