Japanese meaning of 後悔先に立たず
Reading:
こうかいさきにたたず (kōkai saki ni tatazu)
English Translation:
No use crying over spilled milk
Meaning & Cultural Context
Meaning:
It’s no use crying over spilt milk.
Cultural Context:
Appears in Japanese proverbs emphasizing acceptance, common in post-disaster recovery narratives.
過ぎたことを悔やんでも意味がないという意味。
受け入れる姿勢を重んじる日本の諺にも見られ、災害後の復興の語りなどで登場する。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
• 後悔 (kōkai) = “regret” (noun)
• 先に (saki ni) = “beforehand” or “in advance” (adverbial phrase)
• 立たず (tatazu) = classical negative form of 立つ (tatsu, “to stand”), meaning “cannot stand” or “is of no use”
A noun + adverbial + classical negative verb pattern, expressing that regret is useless once the moment has passed.
Trap for English Speakers
Might be taken as a call to never regret, missing the point about regret’s futility after the fact.
Example
Basic Example
バックアップを取らなかった？後悔先に立たずだよ。
You skipped the backup? No use crying over spilled milk.
Applied Example
セーブ忘れて全滅…後悔先に立たず。
Forgot to save and wiped—No use crying over spilled milk.