諺語 · a single proverb
亡羊補牢，猶未遲也
Simplified: 亡羊补牢，犹未迟也
What does 亡羊補牢，猶未遲也 (wáng yáng bǔ láo yóu wèi chí yě) mean?
亡羊補牢，猶未遲也 (wáng yáng bǔ láo yóu wèi chí yě) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "mend the pen after losing the sheep; it is still not too late." In use it means: It is never too late to correct a mistake; acting now is better than acting never. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Goat.
Literally: "mend the pen after losing the sheep; it is still not too late."
The reading
The sheep is gone, but the fence can still be fixed before you lose the rest. The best time to correct a mistake was before you made it. The second best time is right now. There is no third best time.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Strategies of the Warring States 戰國策, Chu Ce 楚策
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 Adversity & Resilience, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 亡羊補牢，猶未遲也 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 亡羊補牢，猶未遲也 (wáng yáng bǔ láo yóu wèi chí yě) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Strategies of the Warring States 戰國策, Chu Ce 楚策. 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 亡羊補牢，猶未遲也?
In Mandarin it is wáng yáng bǔ láo yóu wèi chí yě. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 亡羊補牢，猶未遲也 aloud in Mandarin.