諺語 · a single proverb
亡羊補牢，猶未為晚
Simplified: 亡羊补牢，犹未为晚
What does 亡羊補牢，猶未為晚 (wáng yáng bǔ láo yóu wèi wéi wǎn) mean?
亡羊補牢，猶未為晚 (wáng yáng bǔ láo yóu wèi wéi wǎn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "mend the fold after losing sheep, still not too late." In use it means: Fixing a problem after it happens is still worth doing. The second-best time to act is now. 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 fold after losing sheep, still not too late."
The reading
The sheep are gone. You can stare at the broken fence and regret, or you can fix the fence and keep the rest of the flock. Regret is retrospective. Repair is productive. The proverb does not care about perfect timing. It cares about doing the next useful thing.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Strategies of the Warring States 戰國策 (楚策); extended folk form
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，猶未為晚 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 亡羊補牢，猶未為晚 (wáng yáng bǔ láo yóu wèi wéi wǎn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Strategies of the Warring States 戰國策 (楚策); extended folk form. 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，猶未為晚?
In Mandarin it is wáng yáng bǔ láo yóu wèi wéi wǎn. 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，猶未為晚 aloud in Mandarin.