All for nothing
Idioms, Stage 3chunk 18 of 22Luck, trouble & outcomes
Effort or chances that are lost, progress wiped out, and being too late to fix it.
- mizu no awaall for nothing, wastedliterally “bubbles on the water”
- torikaeshi ga tsukanaican't be undone, irreversibleliterally “taking back can't be managed”
- bou ni furuthrow away (a chance, a career, years)literally “swing (it) into a (bare) stick”
- furidashi ni modorube back to square oneliterally “go back to the starting square (of a board game)”
- ato no matsuritoo late to do anythingliterally “after the festival”
Mix-ups mizu no awa (effort comes to nothing) vs bou ni furu (you throw something away yourself); torikaeshi ga tsukanai (can't be undone) vs ato no matsuri (too late to act).
mizu no awa
polite mizu no awa desu
“bubbles on the water”
all for nothing, wasted
In English: go down the drain
Said when effort, time or savings are wiped out in one go, usually as zenbu mizu no awa da or mizu no awa ni natta. People say it about their own wasted work far more often than about anyone else's.
Plain alternative: muda ni natta (went to waste).
kore de zenbu mizu no awa da yo
Now it's all gone down the drain.
これで全部水の泡だよ
kore de zenbu mizu no awa desu yo
Now it's all been for nothing.
これで全部水の泡ですよ
Written 水の泡 · みずのあわHeard 56× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside bou ni furu
torikaeshi ga tsukanai
polite torikaeshi ga tsukimasen
“taking back can't be managed”
can't be undone, irreversible
A warning before damage that can't be fixed (torikaeshi no tsukanai koto ni naru) or regret afterwards (torikaeshi no tsukanai koto o shita). It mostly appears in the no form before koto.
Before a noun it's torikaeshi no tsukanai; torikaesu alone means get back, win back.
torikaeshi no tsukanai koto shichatta
I've done something I can't undo.
取り返しのつかないことしちゃった
torikaeshi no tsukanai koto o shite shimaimashita
I've done something that can't be undone.
取り返しのつかないことをしてしまいました
Written 取り返しがつかない · とりかえしがつかないHeard 46× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside ato no matsuriMain list -nai (Stage 1), -chau (Stage 1)
bou ni furu
polite bou ni furimasu
“swing (it) into a (bare) stick”
throw away (a chance, a career, years)
Said about wasting something big through one bad choice: jinsei o bou ni furu (throw your life away), chansu o bou ni furu. Often a warning: sonna koto de jinsei bou ni furu na yo. For effort that simply comes to nothing, say mizu no awa.
Plain alternative: muda ni suru (waste).
sonna koto de jinsei bou ni furu na yo.
Don't throw your life away over that.
そんなことで人生棒に振るなよ。
sekkaku no chansu o bou ni futte shimaimashita.
I threw away a golden chance.
せっかくのチャンスを棒に振ってしまいました。
Written 棒に振る · ぼうにふるHeard 36× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside mizu no awaMain list sonna (Stage 2), sekkaku (Stage 4)
furidashi ni modoru
polite furidashi ni modorimasu
“go back to the starting square (of a board game)”
be back to square one
In English: back to square one
Said when a setback wipes out all progress on a plan, a search or a negotiation, mostly in the past: mata furidashi ni modotta. Often clipped to furidashi da or mata furidashi ka. furidashi ni modoru is what happens to you; ichi kara yarinaosu is what you then choose to do.
Scrapping a plan on purpose is hakushi ni modosu.
kore de mata furidashi ni modotchatta.
Great, now we're back to square one again.
これでまた振り出しに戻っちゃった。
kore de mata furidashi ni modorimashita ne.
So we're back to square one again.
これでまた振り出しに戻りましたね。
Written 振り出しに戻る · ふりだしにもどるHeard 35× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesMain list modoru (Stage 1), mata (Stage 3), -chau (Stage 1)
ato no matsuri
polite ato no matsuri desu
“after the festival”
too late to do anything
In English: the ship has sailed
Said when regret or a fix comes too late, usually about a missed chance, often your own: imasara itte mo ato no matsuri da (no use saying it now).
Plain alternative: mou osoi (it's too late).
imasara itte mo ato no matsuri da yo
No use saying that now, it's too late.
今さら言っても後の祭りだよ
imasara itte mo ato no matsuri desu yo
It's too late to say that now.
今さら言っても後の祭りですよ
Written 後の祭り · あとのまつりHeard 9× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside torikaeshi ga tsukanaiMain list ato de (Stage 3), -te mo (Stage 2)