Spilt milk Meaning in English

expression

US

ˈspɪɫt/ /ˈmɪɫk

SPILT MILK

UK

spˈɪlt/ /mˈɪlk

SPILT MILK

Definition

'Spilt milk' refers to things in the past that cannot be changed or undone, and is usually used in the phrase "don't cry over spilt milk," meaning it's useless to be upset about them.

Usage & Nuances

Always appears in the saying "don't cry over spilt milk"; it's almost never used by itself. Very conversational, not formal. Used to encourage moving on from minor regrets or mistakes.

• Spanish: lágrimas derramadas - lamentarse por lo irreversible
• Portuguese (BR): chorado pelo derramado - lamentar o que não tem solução
• Portuguese (PT): leite derramado - lamentar o que não tem remédio
• Chinese (Simplified): 覆水难收 - 为无法改变的事情后悔
• Chinese (Traditional): 覆水難收 - 為無法改變的事情後悔
• Hindi: फैली हुई दूध (व्यर्थ की चिंता) - बीती बात पर पछताना
• Arabic: البكاء على اللبن المسكوب
• Bengali: ফেলে দেওয়া দুধ (রূপক অর্থে) - অতীত ভুল/ক্ষতি (রূপক)
• Russian: пролито молоко (переносный смысл)
• Japanese: 覆水 (ふくすい) - 過ぎたこと (比喩的表現)
• Vietnamese: chuyện đã rồi - nước đã đổ (bóng)
• Korean: 엎질러진 우유 (비유적 의미) - 이미 벌어진 일
• Turkish: dökülmüş süt (mecazi anlam)
• Urdu: گری دودھ (تمثیلی)
• Indonesian: nasi sudah menjadi bubur - susu tumpah (kiasan)

Example Sentences

It's no use crying over spilt milk.

basic

She made a mistake, but it's just spilt milk now.

basic

Don't worry about spilt milk; let's move on.

basic

Forget about it—it’s just spilt milk at this point.

natural

Yeah, we missed the bus, but no use crying over spilt milk.

natural

He keeps talking about his old job, but it’s just spilt milk now.

natural