諺語 · a single proverb
防微杜漸
Simplified: 防微杜渐
What does 防微杜漸 (fáng wēi dù jiàn) mean?
防微杜漸 (fáng wēi dù jiàn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "prevent the tiny, block the gradual." In use it means: Address small problems early before they grow into large ones; nip trouble in the bud. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rooster.
Literally: "prevent the tiny, block the gradual."
The reading
The crack in the dam is a conversation when it is small and a catastrophe when it is large. Every disaster was once a detail someone decided not to bother with.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Book of Later Han 後漢書, Ding Hong 丁鴻傳
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 防微杜漸 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 防微杜漸 (fáng wēi dù jiàn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Book of Later Han 後漢書, Ding Hong 丁鴻傳. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 防微杜漸?
In Mandarin it is fáng wēi dù jiàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 防微杜漸 aloud in Mandarin.