ProverbWisdom
Korean origin
Korean origin호미로 막을 것을 가래로 막는다 (Homiro mageul geoseul garaero mangneunda)
Meaning: A small problem left alone grows into one that takes far more effort to fix.
Literally: Blocking with a spade what a hoe could have blocked
Example: “작은 누수를 방치했더니 천장을 다 고쳐야 한다. 호미로 막을 것을 가래로 막는 격이다.” — We ignored a small leak and now the whole ceiling needs repairing: a stitch in time saves nine.
Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and 2 more languages
English: A stitch in time saves nine
French: Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir (literally: Better to prevent than to cure)
Spanish: Más vale prevenir que lamentar (literally: Better to prevent than to regret)
Japanese: 転ばぬ先の杖 (Korobanu saki no tsue) (literally: A cane before falling)
German: Vorbeugen ist besser als Heilen (literally: Preventing is better than healing)
Portuguese: Mais vale prevenir do que remediar (literally: Better to prevent than to cure)
Turkish: Bir mıh bir nal kurtarır, bir nal bir at kurtarır (literally: One nail saves a shoe, one shoe saves a horse)
Origin: A farming image: a small breach in a ditch that a hand hoe could have closed ends up needing a large spade, the garae, worked by several people.
Explore another collection: Idioms
Colorful expressions from dozens of languages, with their word-for-word translations.
- 눈에 콩깍지가 씌다 (nun-e kongkkakjiga sseuida) To be blinded by love.
- 식은 죽 먹기 (Sigeun juk meokgi) A piece of cake; very easy to do.
- 우물 안 개구리 (Umul an gaeguri) Someone with a narrow, limited worldview.
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