一发而不可收

Traditional form:

一發而不可收

Pinyin (reading):

yīfā'érbùkěshōu

Definitions:

• to be impossible to stop once started

Characters:

• 一 - one; a, an; alone
• 发 - to issue, to dispatch, to send out; hair
• 而 - and, and then, and yet; but
• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 可 - may, can, -able; possibly
• 收 - to collect, to gather, to harvest

Traditional characters:

• 一 - one; a, an; alone
• 發 - to issue, to dispatch, to send out; hair
• 而 - and, and then, and yet; but
• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 可 - may, can, -able; possibly
• 收 - to collect, to gather, to harvest