Definition
驷马 is an archaic Chinese noun meaning 'a team of four horses,' typically referring to the four horses harnessed to a chariot or carriage in ancient times. It is almost exclusively encountered today in the classical idiom 一言既出，驷马难追 (literally 'once a word is spoken, a team of four horses cannot chase it back'), meaning 'a word once spoken cannot be taken back'—a warning to think before you speak. Outside this idiom, you may see it in historical or literary contexts describing royal processions or battle scenes.
n.
(archaic noun) a team of four horses (used primarily in the idiom 一言既出，驷马难追)
Examples
- ，驷马，。Yì yán jì chū, sì mǎ nán zhuī, shuōhuà zhīqián yào sānsī.Once a word is spoken, a team of four horses cannot chase it back—think twice before you speak.
- ，驷马。Gǔ shíhou, zhǐyǒu zhūhóu cáinéng chéngzuò sì pǐ mǎ lā de sì mǎ.In ancient times, only feudal lords could ride in a carriage pulled by a team of four horses.
- ，驷马，。Zhànchǎng shàng, sì mǎ zhànchē jí chí ér guò, yáng qǐ màn tiān chéntǔ.On the battlefield, a chariot with a team of four horses sped by, raising clouds of dust.
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