English–Chinese
“lesson from past mistakes” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyinqián chē zhī jiàn
Example
我们应该以前车之鉴为戒。wǒ men yīng gāi yǐ qián chē zhī jiàn wèi jiè
We should treat past mistakes as a lesson.
How to say “lesson from past mistakes” in Chinese
“Lesson from past mistakes” in Chinese is 前车之鉴 (qián chē zhī jiàn).
A failure that happens ahead leaves a visible warning for everyone following.
Example sentences with 前车之鉴
我们应该吸取前车之鉴，避免重蹈覆辙。wǒ men yīng gāi xī qǔ qián chē zhī jiàn bì miǎn chóng dǎo fù zhé
We should learn a lesson from past mistakes and avoid repeating them.
Tips for using 前车之鉴
- Unlike the neutral English word precedent, this idiom carries a built-in note of caution, so it suits discussion of an earlier failure as a reason for changing course.