Chinese chess term; metaphor for action/advice that is too late to be useful
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
belated action; belated advice; hindsight; criticism after the fact
informalUsed to criticize someone for taking action or giving advice only after the critical moment has passed, rendering it useless. Originates from Chinese chess (xiàngqí), where the 'mǎ hòu pào' is a cannon moved after the horse.
Shì事
qíng情
dōu都
zuò做
wán完
le了
，
nǐ你
cái才
shuō说
yào要
bāng帮
máng忙
，
zhè这
bú不
shì是
mǎ马
hòu后
pào炮
ma吗
？
Now that everything is done, you say you want to help. Isn't that just a belated action?
Wǒ我
fàn犯
cuò错
wù误
de的
shí时
hou候
nǐ你
bù不
tí提
xǐng醒
wǒ我
，
xiàn现
zài在
dōu都
shī失
bài败
le了
cái才
lái来
pī批
píng评
，
jiǎn简
zhí直
shì是
fàng放
mǎ马
hòu后
pào炮
。
You didn't warn me when I was making a mistake, but now you come to criticize me after I've failed. That's pure hindsight.
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Tā他
zǒng总
ài爱
zài在
huì会
yì议
jié结
shù束
hòu后
lái来
gè个
mǎ马
hòu后
pào炮
，
shuō说
xiē些
shì事
hòu后
Zhūgě诸
Liàng葛
de亮
huà的
话
。
He always likes to make belated comments after the meeting is over, saying things that are 'wise after the event'.