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重蹈覆轍

简重蹈覆辙 · 繁重蹈覆轍

Mandarin · pinyin chóng dǎo fù zhé

lit. to follow in the tracks of an overturned cart (idiom)
fig. to follow a path that led to failure in the past
to repeat a disastrous mistake

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Characters in this entry

重: zhòng · heavy, weighty; double
蹈: dǎo · stamp feet; dance
覆: fù · cover; tip over; return; reply
轍: Look up this written character
辙: zhé · wagon ruts, wheel tracks

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–3–4–2 · chong2 dao3 fu4 zhe2

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

重蹈覆轍 · find source passages ↗ · 重蹈覆辙 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

cung4 dou6 fuk1 cit3

Cantonese word readings for 重蹈覆轍. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb

(verb-object) to repeat the same mistake; to recommit the same error

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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