无济于事
- Literal
- no help for the matter
- Figurative
- Said of a measure, an effort or a complaint: to be of no use, to change nothing; it is the action that is futile, not the person attempting it.
Where does 无济于事 come from?
It does not come from an anecdote: it is a set phrase of written Chinese built from classical words. 济 means "to relieve, to be of help" (the same character as in 救济, "to give relief"), 于 is the preposition "to, for," and 事 is "the matter." Literally, "of no help to the matter." Its subject is usually whatever is being tried — crying, complaining, a measure, a stopgap — rather than the person: that is what sets it apart from 无能为力, where it is you yourself who can do nothing. It is used in speech and writing alike, often with 也 before it: 后悔也无济于事.
How is 无济于事 used? Two examples
- 事情已经发生了，你现在后悔也无济于事。
What's done is done; regretting it now won't do any good.
- 光靠降价无济于事，产品质量才是关键。
Cutting prices alone won't fix anything; product quality is what really matters.
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