放马后炮

to fire after the horse has bolted (idiom); to act too late to be effective

to put / to place / to release / to free / to let go / to let out / to set off (fireworks)

surname Ma / abbr. for Malaysia 馬來西亞|马来西亚[Ma3 lai2 xi1 ya4]

horse / CL:匹[pi3] / horse or cavalry piece in Chinese chess / knight in Western chess

empress / queen / (archaic) monarch / ruler

back / behind / rear / afterwards / after / later / post-

lit. firing after the horse / fig. belated action / giving advice in hindsight

lit. firing after the horse / fig. belated action / giving advice in hindsight

to sauté / to fry / to dry by heating

to prepare herbal medicine by roasting or parching (in a pan)

cannon / CL:座[zuo4] / firecracker

variant of 炮[pao4]