开弓没有回头箭

kāi gōng méi yǒu huí tóu jiàn

lit. once you've shot the arrow, there's no getting it back (idiom)

fig. once you started sth, there's no turning back; to have to finish what one started; to be determined to reach one's goals in spite of setbacks

kāi

to open (transitive or intransitive)

gōng

a bow (weapon)

méi

(negative prefix for verbs) have not; not

yǒu

to have; there is

huí

variant of 迴|回[hui2]

tóu

head

jiàn

arrow