آب که از سر گذشت، چه یک وجب چه صد وجب
ab ke az sar gozasht, che yek vajab che sad vajab
When it's over, it's over
Signification
Once a situation has gone too far, further damage or effort doesn't matter much.
Contexte culturel
The 'vajab' is still used informally in Iran to measure small things, like the size of a watermelon or a piece of fabric. Using it in the proverb keeps it grounded in everyday life. This proverb is often linked to the concept of 'Tark-e Donya' (renouncing the world). When a mystic feels they have 'drowned' in God's love, worldly troubles no longer have any scale. Filmmakers like Asghar Farhadi often depict characters who reach this 'point of no return,' where one lie leads to another until they finally resign to their fate using this logic. Iranians value 'Abe-roo' (the water of the face/reputation). This proverb is the dark side of that value—what happens when the 'water' is gone.
Shorten it for impact
In daily life, you don't need to say the whole thing. Just saying 'آب که از سر گذشت...' with a sigh conveys the full meaning.
Don't sound too lazy
If you use this too often for small chores, people might think you are unmotivated or irresponsible.
Signification
Once a situation has gone too far, further damage or effort doesn't matter much.
Shorten it for impact
In daily life, you don't need to say the whole thing. Just saying 'آب که از سر گذشت...' with a sigh conveys the full meaning.
Don't sound too lazy
If you use this too often for small chores, people might think you are unmotivated or irresponsible.
The 'Vajab' Gesture
When saying 'yek vajab,' Iranians often show the hand-span gesture to emphasize the smallness of the measurement.
Teste-toi
Complete the proverb with the correct word.
آب که از سر گذشت، چه یک ______ چه صد وجب.
The traditional unit used in this proverb is 'vajab' (hand-span).
Which situation best fits the proverb?
Situation: You are already 2 hours late for a wedding. You decide to stop and wash your car.
Since you are already significantly late, the extra time for a car wash feels irrelevant to the outcome.
What is the core meaning of this proverb?
The proverb implies that...
The proverb focuses on the irrelevance of the scale of disaster once the disaster is already absolute.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 'We already lost 10 million Tomans in the stock market.' B: 'Let's wait another day. _________.'
B is suggesting that since they already lost a lot, a bit more doesn't matter.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesآب که از سر گذشت، چه یک ______ چه صد وجب.
The traditional unit used in this proverb is 'vajab' (hand-span).
Situation: You are already 2 hours late for a wedding. You decide to stop and wash your car.
Since you are already significantly late, the extra time for a car wash feels irrelevant to the outcome.
The proverb implies that...
The proverb focuses on the irrelevance of the scale of disaster once the disaster is already absolute.
A: 'We already lost 10 million Tomans in the stock market.' B: 'Let's wait another day. _________.'
B is suggesting that since they already lost a lot, a bit more doesn't matter.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsIt is neutral. You can use it with friends, but you'll also hear it in movies or read it in books.
It's the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the pinky finger on an outstretched hand, roughly 20-22 cm.
No, it is almost exclusively used for negative or risky situations.
Somewhat, but 'spilled milk' is about regret. This proverb is more about the *further* consequences not mattering.
It sounds like 'che' in 'check'.
Yes, it is common in Dari and Tajiki Persian as well, with slight accent variations.
People will understand you, but it will sound like a 'learner mistake'. Stick to 'vajab'.
Yes, it often implies a sense of giving up or accepting a bad fate.
Maybe 'جلوی ضرر را از هر جا بگیری منفعت است' (Stopping a loss at any point is a profit).
Yes, often when a project is failing and people stop trying to save the budget.
Expressions liées
آب از سرش گذشته
specialized formHe is beyond help / He has become shameless.
هر چه بادا باد
similarCome what may.
تیر از کمان رها شده
similarThe arrow has left the bow.
دیگر دیر شده است
synonymIt is already too late.
