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重蹈覆辙 (chóng dào fù zhé) — to repeat the same mistake; to follow the same disastrous road again

Definition

Idiom meaning to repeat the same mistake after a failure. Used in writing or serious speech, not casual chat.

idiom
to repeat the same mistaketo follow the same disastrous road again

Examples

  • ，重蹈覆辙，。
    Tā shàng cì tóu zī shī bài, zhè cì yòu chóng dào fù zhé, zhēn shì ràng rén dān xīn.
    He failed in his last investment, and now he's repeating the same mistake — really worrisome.
  • ，重蹈覆辙。
    Lì shǐ jiào xùn gào sù wǒ men, bù néng chóng dào fù zhé.
    Historical lessons tell us not to repeat the same mistakes.
  • 重蹈覆辙，。
    Gōng sī guǎn lǐ céng chóng dào fù zhé, méi yǒu xī qǔ shàng cì shī bài de jiào xùn.
    The company's management followed the same disastrous path, failing to learn from the last failure.

Origin

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
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
東
東dōng重zhòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

重 developed from a picture of a man carrying a bag, with 人 for the man and 東 for the bag; a later ground element was folded into the form.

Open 重 →

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
足足zú
Sound part声符shēngfú
舀
舀yǎo蹈dǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

蹈 is made of 足, a foot, and 舀; the foot part shows it is about foot actions, and 舀 gives the sound.

Open 蹈 →

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
襾襾yà
Sound part声符shēngfú
復
復fù覆fù
Same sound today

覆 pairs 襾, a part connected to the meaning, with 復, which gives the sound.

Open 覆 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 轍; 辙 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūwagon
Sound part声符shēngfú
徹
徹chè轍zhé
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 轍 combines 車 (wagon) with a sound component 徹, and the meaning is wagon tracks; the simplified 辙 is a shorthand.

Open 辙 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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