Chinese idiom · 成语
覆车之鉴
Meaning
The lesson of an overturned cart; a warning from failure.
Character by character
Origin and story
Historical metaphorThe phrase is recorded in Wang Yin's Shu Ji, quoted in the commentary to the Sanguozhi's biography of the Later Sovereign. It points to earlier rulers who relied on strong regional bases yet were defeated, treating their falls as warnings for a later ruler. The 'overturned carriage' is an analogy for previous political failure.
鉴 means a mirror or something by which one examines oneself. In modern usage, a failed project, preventable accident, or bad decision can become such a warning. The lesson is to recognize relevant causes and avoid repeating them, not to assume all new attempts must fail.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
上次上线失败就是覆车之鉴，这次一定要先做测试。
The previous failed launch is a warning: this time we must test first.
An earlier failure used as a caution for present decisions.