重蹈覆轍

Chinese

		heavy; serious; to double heavy; serious; to double; to repeat; repetition; iteration; again; a layer	tread on; trample; stamp tread on; trample; stamp; fulfil	track of an overturned cart; disastrous policy; previous failure
trad. (重蹈覆轍)		重	蹈	覆轍
simp. (重蹈覆辙)		重	蹈	覆辙
Literally: “to go on the tracks of an overturned cart again”.

Etymology

Based on the Book of the Later Han:

今不慮前事之失，復循覆車之軌。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

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今不虑前事之失，复循覆车之轨。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of the Later Han, circa 5^th century CE

Jīn bù lǜ qiánshì zhī shī, fù xún fùchē zhī guǐ. [Pinyin]

Now [we] are not considering past mistakes and following the tracks of an overturned cart again.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): chóngdǎofùzhé, chóngdàofùchè

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄨㄥˊ ㄉㄠˇ ㄈㄨˋ ㄓㄜˊ, ㄔㄨㄥˊ ㄉㄠˋ ㄈㄨˋ ㄔㄜˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): cung⁴ dou⁶ fuk¹ cit³, cung⁴ tou¹ fuk¹ cit³
• Southern Min (Teochew, Peng'im): dêng⁵ dao⁶ hog⁸ tiêg⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, Mainland)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chóngdǎofùzhé
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄨㄥˊ ㄉㄠˇ ㄈㄨˋ ㄓㄜˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chóngdǎofùjhé
    • Wade–Giles: chʻung²-tao³-fu⁴-chê²
    • Yale: chúng-dǎu-fù-jé
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chorngdaofuhjer
    • Palladius: чундаофучжэ (čundaofučžɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ³⁵ tɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ fu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɤ³⁵/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, Taiwan)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chóngdàofùchè
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄨㄥˊ ㄉㄠˋ ㄈㄨˋ ㄔㄜˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chóngdàofùchè
    • Wade–Giles: chʻung²-tao⁴-fu⁴-chʻê⁴
    • Yale: chúng-dàu-fù-chè
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chorngdawfuhcheh
    • Palladius: чундаофучэ (čundaofučɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ fu⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂʰɤ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: cung⁴ dou⁶ fuk¹ cit³, cung⁴ tou¹ fuk¹ cit³
    • Yale: chùhng douh fūk chit, chùhng tōu fūk chit
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsung⁴ dou⁶ fuk⁷ tsit⁸, tsung⁴ tou¹ fuk⁷ tsit⁸
    • Guangdong Romanization: cung⁴ dou⁶ fug¹ qid³, cung⁴ tou¹ fug¹ qid³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰʊŋ²¹ tou̯²² fʊk̚⁵ t͡sʰiːt̚³/, /t͡sʰʊŋ²¹ tʰou̯⁵⁵ fʊk̚⁵ t͡sʰiːt̚³/

Note: cung4 tou1 fuk1 cit3 - common misreading.

• Southern Min
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: dêng⁵ dao⁶ hog⁸ tiêg⁴
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: têng tău ho̍k thiek
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /teŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ tau³⁵⁻¹¹ hok̚⁴⁻² tʰiek̚²/

Idiom

重蹈覆轍

1. to repeat the same mistake; to recommit the same error

   • 我們務必要記取過去慘痛的教訓，絕對不能重蹈覆轍，讓相同的情形再發生。 [Taiwanese Mandarin, trad.]
     我们务必要记取过去惨痛的教训，绝对不能重蹈覆辙，让相同的情形再发生。 [Taiwanese Mandarin, simp.]

     From: 2005 February 5, 總統府新聞稿, in 《總統府公報》, number 6617

     Wǒmen wùbì yào jìqǔ guòqù cǎntòng de jiàoxùn, juéduì bùnéng chóngdàofùchè, ràng xiāngtóng de qíngxíng zài fāshēng. [Pinyin]

     We must remember and draw from the painful lessons of the past, and we absolutely cannot repeat the same mistakes and allow the same situation to reoccur.

   • 我不過是怕啊，我怕我的孩子重蹈我的覆轍，我想我這一生稀裏糊塗地做女人就夠了，我的孩子不必了。 [MSC, trad.]
     我不过是怕啊，我怕我的孩子重蹈我的覆辙，我想我这一生稀里糊涂地做女人就够了，我的孩子不必了。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2010, 趙銳, 《母親手記：我與孩子的故事》, page 181

     Wǒ bùguò shì pà a, wǒ pà wǒ de háizi chóngdǎo wǒ de fùzhé, wǒ xiǎng wǒ zhè yī shēng xīlihútú de zuò nǚrén jiù gòu le, wǒ de háizi bùbì le. [Pinyin]

     It's just that I'm afraid; I'm afraid that my child will repeat my mistakes. I think it's enough just for me to live a muddled life as a woman; my child does not have to.

Synonyms

• 復蹈其轍／复蹈其辙
• 復蹈前轍／复蹈前辙