4 characters Idiom and proverb 13 184

We’re happy to bring you free Chinese lessons. This series dives into idioms and proverbs, meaningful and practical. Today’s phrase is 「後手不接」, with its usage explained below.

The idiom 「後手不接」 is the focus of our introduction today, and its explanation and application are listed below.

It means that if you don’t leave room for maneuver in normal times, you will not be able to catch up and maintain it in the future. Also known as “no upfront move”.

The Mandarin pronunciation of this idiom is :

hòu shǒu bù jiē

while its Cantonese pinyin is :

hau6 sau2 bat1 jip3

The world of Chinese idioms is massive, filled with countless expressions, each with distinct meanings and applications. These materials are here to support you as you improve your Chinese skills.