有言在先 (yǒu yán zài xiān) — to have forewarned or made clear in advance; a prior statement or agreement
Definition
A fixed phrase meaning 'I said so beforehand' — used to remind someone that you warned them earlier, often with a tone of 'don't blame me'. The statement comes before the action, not after.
idiom
to have forewarned or made clear in advancea prior statement or agreement
Examples
- ，有言在先。Bié guài wǒ méi tí xǐng nǐ, wǒ kě shì yǒu yán zài xiān le.Don't blame me for not warning you — I told you so beforehand.
- 有言在先，，。Zán men yǒu yán zài xiān, zhè bǐ qián jiè gěi nǐ, sān gè yuè nèi bì xū hái.Let's make it clear in advance: this money I'm lending you must be returned within three months.
- 有言在先，。Dāng shí yǒu yán zài xiān shuō guò bù néng chí dào, nǐ xiàn zài hái shì wǎn le.I said clearly in advance that you couldn't be late, yet here you are, late.
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