
ProverbWisdom
Arabic origin
في التأني السلامة وفي العجلة الندامة (Fī t-taʾannī s-salāma wa-fī l-ʿajala n-nadāma)
Meaning: Taking your time is safe; rushing brings regret.
Literally: In patience lies safety, in haste regret
Example: “لا تتسرع في القرار. في التأني السلامة وفي العجلة الندامة.” — Don't rush the decision: 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)
Korean: 돌다리도 두들겨 보고 건너라 (Doldarido dudeulgyeo bogo geonneora) (literally: Tap even a stone bridge before you cross)
Origin: Two balanced halves: in deliberation lies safety, in haste regret. Salāma and nadāma rhyme.
Explore another collection: Idioms
Colorful expressions from dozens of languages, with their word-for-word translations.
- حط في بطنك بطيخة صيفي (ḥuṭṭ fī baṭnak baṭīkha ṣayfī) Relax completely; do not worry about a thing.
- يعمل من الحبة قبة (Ya'mal min al-ḥabba qubba) To blow something tiny completely out of proportion.
- الجمل ما يشوف عوجة رقبته (Al-jamal mā yshūf 'awjat raqabatuh) People are blind to their own faults.
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