you can't step in the same river twice

proverb

It is not possible to repeat past experiences, as time changes all things.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. idiomaticIt is not possible to repeat past experiences, as time changes all things.

Origin

Direct translation from Heraclitus, as cited in Plato's Cratylus.

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Cite this entry
APA

you can't step in the same river twice. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you%20can't%20step%20in%20the%20same%20river%20twice

MLA

“you can't step in the same river twice.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you%20can't%20step%20in%20the%20same%20river%20twice. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “you can't step in the same river twice,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you%20can't%20step%20in%20the%20same%20river%20twice.

Source: you can't step in the same river twice on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.