Bezint eer gij begint

Meaning: Think carefully before you start something.

Literally: Reflect before you begin

Example: “Koop niet meteen een huis. Bezint eer gij begint.” — Don't buy a house straight away: look before you leap.

Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and 4 more languages

English: Look before you leap
French: Prudence est mère de sûreté (literally: Prudence is the mother of safety)
Spanish: Antes que te cases, mira lo que haces (literally: Before you marry, look at what you're doing)
Japanese: 石橋を叩いて渡る (Ishibashi wo tataite wataru) (literally: Cross the stone bridge after tapping it)
German: Erst wägen, dann wagen (literally: First weigh, then dare)
Russian: Семь раз отмерь, один раз отрежь (Sem' raz otmer', odin raz otrezh') (literally: Measure seven times, cut once)
Chinese: 三思而行 (Sān sī ér xíng) (literally: Think three times, then act)
Korean: 돌다리도 두들겨 보고 건너라 (Doldarido dudeulgyeo bogo geonneora) (literally: Tap even a stone bridge before you cross)
Arabic: في التأني السلامة وفي العجلة الندامة (Fī t-taʾannī s-salāma wa-fī l-ʿajala n-nadāma) (literally: In patience lies safety, in haste regret)

Origin: An old-fashioned, almost biblical form, with gij for you; bezint and begint rhyme.

Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.

Sei un salame You're a clumsy, dopey softie — said with a smile.
Eres más corto que las mangas de un chaleco You're not the sharpest — a bit slow on the uptake.
Du bist nicht die hellste Kerze auf der Torte You're a little dim — not the smartest in the room.

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