Definition
This four-character idiom literally means 'to rein in the horse at the edge of a cliff' — a vivid metaphor for stopping a dangerous course of action just in time to avoid disaster. In both written and spoken Chinese, you use it to urge someone to change their harmful behavior or wrong path before it's too late. It often appears after a series of warnings, carrying a tone of urgent advice.
id.
to stop a dangerous or wrong action just before it leads to disaster(literal) to rein in the horse at the cliff's edge
Examples
- ，悬崖勒马。Tā xiànzài gǎizhèng hái láidejí, zhēn shì xuán yá lè mǎ.It's not too late for him to correct his mistake now — truly reining in at the cliff's edge.
- 悬崖勒马，。Qǐyè bìxū xuán yá lè mǎ, fǒuzé jiù huì pòchǎn.The company must stop before it's too late, or it will go bankrupt.
- 悬崖勒马，。Wǒ quàn nǐ xuán yá lè mǎ, bié zài cānyù nàxiē wéifǎ huódòng le.I advise you to pull back before it's too late — stop participating in those illegal activities.
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