अब पछताए होत क्या

/əb pəʈəɑːeː hoːt kʰə/◆idiom
too late to repent

अब पछताए होत क्या जब चिड़िया चुग गई खेत

It's too late to repent when the bird has already eaten the crops.

◆ What It Really Means
The idiom conveys that it's useless to regret or repent after a mistake has already caused irreversible consequences. It's a way to say 'there's no point crying over spilled milk.'
Literal Meaning
Now what is happening to repent?
Literal Breakdown
अबnow+पछताएto repent+होतis happening+क्याwhat
◇ Mental Image
The mental picture is of someone realizing too late that they should have acted differently, like a farmer watching birds eat his crops after the harvest season has passed.
◈ When to Use
Imagine a student who didn't study for exams and now fails. A friend might say 'तुमने पढ़ाई नहीं की और अब पछताए होत क्या?' (You didn't study and now it's too late to repent?)
◉ Cultural Note
This idiom reflects the Hindi cultural emphasis on timely action and personal responsibility. It's often used in moral lessons and proverbial wisdom, similar to English sayings like 'Don't cry over spilled milk.'
informal

Too late to do anything about a mistake or missed opportunity; expressing regret when no corrective action is possible.

तुमने पढ़ाई छोड़ दी और अब नौकरी नहीं मिल रही, अब पछताए होत क्या?

You quit your studies and now can't find a job. It's too late to repent now.

उसने समय रहते सब कुछ नहीं किया और अब पछताए होत क्या?

He didn't do everything in time and now it's too late to repent.

Used when someone realizes too late that they should have acted differently. Often implies criticism of the person's past inaction.

Related Phrases

अब हाथ मलनाidiom
to wring one's hands in regret
जल गई हो गईidiom
it's done and over with

Pro Tip

When to use this idiom

Use this when someone has missed an opportunity and their regret is too late to change anything. It's often used in advice-giving contexts.

Gold Rule

Idiom structure

This is a complete sentence in Hindi. The first word 'अब' means 'now', 'पछताए' means 'to repent', 'होत' is a contraction of 'होता है' (is happening), and 'क्या' means 'what'. Taken literally it means 'Now what is happening to repent?'

Word Origin

This idiom originates from a traditional Hindi proverb about a farmer who realizes too late that birds have eaten his crops. The literal meaning is 'Now what use is repenting when...'

Usage Notes

This idiom is used in situations where someone has missed an opportunity or failed to act in time, and their regret comes too late to be useful. It often carries a tone of criticism or 'I told you so.'

Word Breakdown

अब
now
adverb
+
पछताए
to repent
verb
+
होत
is happening (contraction of होता है)
verb
+
क्या
what
interrogative particle
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