DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT
一發不可收拾
简 一发不可收拾 · 繁 一發不可收拾Mandarin · pinyin yī fā bù kě shōu shi
Meanings
- once it gets started there's no stopping it
Characters in this entry
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.
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Mandarin tones
1–1–4–3–1–5 · yi1 fa1 bu4 ke3 shou1 shi5
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
Connected dictionary
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Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
jat1 faat3 bat1 ho2 sau1 sap6
Cantonese word readings for 一發不可收拾. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
jat1 faat3 bat1 ho2 sau1 sap6
Pleco · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Word reading; meanings not aligned.
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
phrase
- (idiomatic) to get out of hand
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack