ProverbWisdomItalian origin

La prudenza non è mai troppa

Meaning: It is always worth being careful.

Literally: You can never have too much caution

Example: “Controlla di aver chiuso il gas prima di partire: la prudenza non è mai troppa.” — Check you've turned off the gas before leaving: better safe than sorry.

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

  • English: Better safe than sorry
  • 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: 備えあれば憂いなし (Sonae areba urei nashi) (literally: If prepared, there is no worry)
  • German: Vorsicht ist besser als Nachsicht (literally: Caution is better than hindsight)
  • Portuguese: Mais vale prevenir do que remediar (literally: Better to prevent than to cure)
  • Dutch: Voorzichtigheid is de moeder van de porseleinkast (literally: Caution is the mother of the china cabinet)
  • Russian: Бережёного Бог бережёт (Berezhyonogo Bog berezhyot) (literally: God protects those who protect themselves)
  • Polish: Strzeżonego Pan Bóg strzeże (literally: God guards those who guard themselves)

Origin: Unlike most proverbs it has no image, just the rule: caution is the one thing you can't overdo.

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