ProverbWisdomGerman origin

Vorsicht ist besser als Nachsicht

Meaning: It is better to be careful beforehand than to be sorry afterwards.

Literally: Caution is better than hindsight

Example: “Ich nehme lieber einen Ersatzschlüssel mit. Vorsicht ist besser als Nachsicht.” — I'd rather take a spare key: better safe than sorry.

Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, 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)
  • 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: A pun: Vorsicht (caution, literally fore-sight) is set against Nachsicht, which literally reads as after-sight but in everyday German means leniency.

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