三思而後行

See also: 三思而后行

Chinese

	to think carefully; to think twice	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	to carry out as a second step; to act later
trad. (三思而後行)	三思	而	後行
simp. (三思而后行)	三思	而	后行
Literally: “think three (several) times then act”.

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 5 (《論語·公冶長》):

季文子三思而後行。子聞之，曰：『再，斯可矣。』 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

季文子三思而后行。子闻之，曰：‘再，斯可矣。’ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Jì Wén Zǐ sānsī ér hòuxíng. Zǐ wén zhī, yuē: ‘Zài, sī kě yǐ.’ [Pinyin]

Ji Wen thought thrice, and then acted. When the Master was informed of it, he said, "Twice may do."

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): sānsī ér hòuxíng, sànsī ér hòuxíng

(Zhuyin): ㄙㄢㄙㄦˊ ㄏㄡˋ ㄒㄧㄥˊ, ㄙㄢˋ ㄙㄦˊ ㄏㄡˋ ㄒㄧㄥˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): saam³ si¹ ji⁴ hau⁶ hang⁴
Min Nan (Hokkien, POJ): sàm-su jî hiō hêng / sàm-su lî hiō hêng

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: sānsī ér hòuxíng
  - Zhuyin: ㄙㄢㄙㄦˊ ㄏㄡˋ ㄒㄧㄥˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: sansih ér hòusíng
  - Wade–Giles: san¹-ssŭ¹ êrh² hou⁴-hsing²
  - Yale: sān-sz̄ ér hòu-syíng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sansy erl howshyng
  - Palladius: саньсы эр хоусин (sanʹsy er xousin)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sän⁵⁵ sz̩⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵⁻⁵⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹ ɕiŋ³⁵/
- (Standard Chinese, variant)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: sànsī ér hòuxíng
  - Zhuyin: ㄙㄢˋ ㄙㄦˊ ㄏㄡˋ ㄒㄧㄥˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: sànsih ér hòusíng
  - Wade–Giles: san⁴-ssŭ¹ êrh² hou⁴-hsing²
  - Yale: sàn-sz̄ ér hòu-syíng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sannsy erl howshyng
  - Palladius: саньсы эр хоусин (sanʹsy er xousin)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sän⁵¹ sz̩⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵⁻⁵⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹ ɕiŋ³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: saam³ si¹ ji⁴ hau⁶ hang⁴
  - Yale: saam sī yìh hauh hàhng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: saam³ si¹ ji⁴ hau⁶ hang⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: sam³ xi¹ yi⁴ heo⁶ heng⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /saːm³³ siː⁵⁵ jiː²¹ hɐu̯²² hɐŋ²¹/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Kaohsiung)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sàm-su jî hiō hêng
  - Tâi-lô: sàm-su jî hiō hîng
  - Phofsit Daibuun: sarmsw jii hioi heeng
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /sam²¹⁻⁴¹ su⁴⁴ ʑi²³⁻³³ hiɤ³³⁻²¹ hiɪŋ²³/
- (Hokkien: Taipei)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sàm-su lî hiō hêng
  - Tâi-lô: sàm-su lî hiō hîng
  - Phofsit Daibuun: sarmsw lii hioi heeng
  - IPA (Taipei): /sam¹¹⁻⁵³ su⁴⁴ li²⁴⁻¹¹ hio³³⁻¹¹ hiɪŋ²⁴/

Proverb

三思而後行

look before you leap

Synonyms

三思而行 (sānsī'érxíng)

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