cry over spilt milk

English

cry over spilt milk (third-person singular simple present cries over spilt milk, present participle crying over spilt milk, simple past and past participle cried over spilt milk)

To worry about unfortunate events which have already happened and which cannot be changed.

Usually found as a negative imperative: don't cry over spilt milk or there's no use crying over spilt milk.

Don't waste your time worrying about things you cannot change.

to worry about unfortunate events which have already happened

Arabic: لَا تَبْكِ عَلَى اَلْحَلِيب اَلْمَسْكُوب‎ (lā tabki ʿalā l-ḥalīb al-maskūb)
Chinese:
Mandarin: ^{(please verify)} 覆水難收, ^{(please verify)} 覆水难收 (zh) (fùshuǐnánshōu), (the timber has been turned into a boat already) ^{(please verify)} 木已成舟 (zh) (mùyǐchéngzhōu)
Czech: plakat nad rozlitým mlékem
Dutch: ^{(please verify)} gedane zaken nemen geen keer
Finnish: itkeä maahan kaatunutta maitoa
French: pleurer sur le lait renversé
German: ^{(please verify)} hin ist hin
Hebrew: ^{(please verify)} אין בוכים על חלב שנשפך‎ (he)
Hungarian: késő bánat ebgondolat, eső után köpönyeg (hu), veszett fejsze nyele
Icelandic: ^{(please verify)} ekki er hægt að sjá við öllum leka
Indonesian: nasi sudah menjadi bubur
Irish: ^{(please verify)} níl maith sa seanchas nuair a bhíos an anachain déanta

Italian: non piangere sul latte versato, inutile piangere sul latte versato
Japanese: 覆水盆に返らず (ja) (ふくすいぼんにかえらず, fukusui bon ni kaerazu)
Malay:
Jawi: ^{(please verify)} ناسي سوده منجادي بوبور‎

Rumi: ^{(please verify)} nasi sudah menjadi bubur
Norwegian: ^{(please verify)} ikke gråt over spilt melk
Polish: płakać nad rozlanym mlekiem (pl)
Portuguese: chorar sobre o leite derramado, chorar sobre leite derramado
Russian: ^{(please verify)} о проли́том молоке́ не пла́чут (o prolítom moloké ne pláčut)
Spanish: llorar sobre la leche derramada, llorar por la leche derramada, a lo hecho, pecho
Swedish: gråta över spilld mjölk
Vietnamese: tiếc (vi)

Gregory Y. Titelman, Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings, 1996, →ISBN, p. 63.

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