諺語 · a single proverb
小洞不補，大洞受苦
What does 小洞不補，大洞受苦 (xiǎo dòng bù bǔ dà dòng shòu kǔ) mean?
小洞不補，大洞受苦 (xiǎo dòng bù bǔ dà dòng shòu kǔ) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "small hole not patched, large hole suffer." In use it means: Fix small problems before they become large ones; neglecting small issues leads to big suffering. 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 Rat.
Literally: "small hole not patched, large hole suffer."
The reading
The small hole in the dam wants so little to fix it: a handful of earth and an afternoon. The large hole in the dam is a different conversation entirely. The investment in the small is the prevention of the large, and what is prevented never shows its cost because it never happens. Prevention is the cheapest repair.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk proverb (suyu)
Sits beside
冬至陽生春又來
dōng zhì yáng shēng chūn yòu lái
At the darkest moment of winter, yang energy is reborn and spring begins its return.
夜長夢多
yè cháng mèng duō
Delay leads to complications.
太公釣魚，願者上鉤
tài gōng diào yú yuàn zhě shàng gōu
The best way to attract people is not through trickery but through genuine worth.
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 Timing & Fortune's Turning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 小洞不補，大洞受苦 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 小洞不補，大洞受苦 (xiǎo dòng bù bǔ dà dòng shòu kǔ) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk proverb (suyu). 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 小洞不補，大洞受苦?
In Mandarin it is xiǎo dòng bù bǔ dà dòng shòu kǔ. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 小洞不補，大洞受苦 aloud in Mandarin.