
ProverbWisdom
Korean origin
돌다리도 두들겨 보고 건너라 (Doldarido dudeulgyeo bogo geonneora)
Meaning: Be careful even when something looks completely safe.
Literally: Tap even a stone bridge before you cross
Example: “계약서를 한 번 더 확인해. 돌다리도 두들겨 보고 건너라.” — Check the contract once more: 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)
Dutch: Bezint eer gij begint (literally: Reflect before you begin)
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)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: A stone bridge is the safest kind, and still the cautious tap it first. Japanese has the same bridge: 石橋を叩いて渡る.
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