Más vale prevenir que lamentar

Meaning: It is better to take precautions than to be sorry afterwards.

Literally: Better to prevent than to regret

Example: “Llévate el paraguas; más vale prevenir que lamentar.” — Take the umbrella: better safe than sorry.

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

English: Better safe than sorry
French: Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir (literally: Better to prevent than to cure)
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)
Italian: La prudenza non è mai troppa (literally: You can never have too much caution)
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: Where French ends on the cure (mieux vaut prévenir que guérir), Spanish ends on regret.

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