未雨綢繆

See also: 未雨绸缪

Chinese

		not yet; 8th earthly branch; 1–3 p.m.	rain	bound tightly; bound round and round; winding round
trad. (未雨綢繆)		未	雨	綢繆
simp. (未雨绸缪)		未	雨	绸缪
Literally: “before it rains, bind around with silk”.

Etymology

From the Classic of Poetry, poem 155 (《詩經·豳風·鴟鴞》):

迨天之未陰雨，徹彼桑土，綢繆牖戶。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]

迨天之未阴雨，彻彼桑土，绸缪牖户。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Dài tiān zhī wèi yīnyǔ, chè bǐ sāngdù, chóumóu yǒuhù. [Pinyin]

Before the sky was dark with rain,
I gathered the roots of the mulberry tree,
And bound round and round my window and door.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): wèiyǔchóumóu

(Zhuyin): ㄨㄟˋ ㄩˇ ㄔㄡˊ ㄇㄡˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): mei⁶ jyu⁵ cau⁴ mau⁴

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: wèiyǔchóumóu
  - Zhuyin: ㄨㄟˋ ㄩˇ ㄔㄡˊ ㄇㄡˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: wèiyǔchóumóu
  - Wade–Giles: wei⁴-yü³-chʻou²-mou²
  - Yale: wèi-yǔ-chóu-móu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: weyyeuchourmou
  - Palladius: вэйюйчоумоу (vɛjjujčoumou)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯⁵¹ y²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰoʊ̯³⁵ moʊ̯³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: mei⁶ jyu⁵ cau⁴ mau⁴
  - Yale: meih yúh chàuh màuh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: mei⁶ jy⁵ tsau⁴ mau⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: méi⁶ yu⁵ ceo⁴ meo⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mei̯²² jyː¹³ t͡sʰɐu̯²¹ mɐu̯²¹/

Idiom

未雨綢繆

(figurative) to plan ahead; to prepare before it is too late; to take precautions
未雨綢繆才能臨危不亂。 [MSC, trad.]
未雨绸缪才能临危不乱。 [MSC, simp.]
Wèiyǔchóumóu cái néng línwēibùluàn. [Pinyin]
Only by taking precautions can you remain calm in the face of danger.
- 宜未雨而綢繆，毋臨渴而掘井。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
  宜未雨而绸缪，毋临渴而掘井。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]
  From: Zhu Yongchun, Zhu Zi's Family Maxims, 17^th century CE
  Yí wèi yǔ ér chóumóu, wú lín kě ér jué jǐng. [Pinyin]
  One should, when it is not yet raining, bind tightly the window. One should not wait until one is thirsty to dig a well.
  i.e. One should prepare before it is too late.

Antonyms

臨渴掘井／临渴掘井 (línkějuéjǐng)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (未雨綢繆):

→ Japanese: 未(み)雨(う)綢(ちゅう)繆(びゅう) (miuchūbyū)
→ Korean: 미우주무(未雨綢繆) (miujumu)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
未	雨	綢	繆
み Grade: 4	う Grade: 1	ちゅう Hyōgaiji	びゅう Hyōgaiji
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
綢繆未雨

Idiom

未(み)雨(う)綢(ちゅう)繆(びゅう) • (miuchūbyū)

to prepare before it is too late

Antonyms

臨(りん)渇(かつ)掘(くっ)井(せい) (rinkatsukussei)

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