防患未然
防患未然 (fáng huàn wèi rán) literally means “prevent troubles before they occur” and expresses “prepare in advance”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning.
Also searched as: fang huan wei ran, fang huan wei ran,防患未然 meaning, 防患未然 in english
Prepare in advance
Pronunciation: fáng huàn wèi rán Literal meaning: Prevent troubles before they occur
Origin & Usage
The Book of Changes gives the underlying instruction — the superior person thinks about trouble and guards against it beforehand — and this is its compressed form: guard against (防) the calamity (患) that has not yet (未) happened (然). What distinguishes it from ordinary caution is the tense. It concerns the problem that does not exist, which is the hardest kind to spend money or attention on, and it turns up in exactly the arguments where that is the difficulty: maintenance budgets, safety procedure, seeing a doctor while still well.
Examples
English: "By planning ahead, the company avoided potential crises."
Chinese: 通过提前规划，公司防患未然。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about wisdom & learning
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róng huì guàn tōng
Integrate many strands into one understanding
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学海无涯
xué hǎi wú yá
Learning is limitless
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知行合一
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Practice what you know
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举一反三
jǔ yī fǎn sān
Learn many from one example
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wēn gù zhī xīn
Learn new through studying old
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Add crucial finishing touch
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dú wàn juàn shū
Read extensively for knowledge
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pāo zhuān yǐn yù
Offer modest view to inspire better
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 防患未然 mean in English?
防患未然 (fáng huàn wèi rán) literally translates to “Prevent troubles before they occur” and is used to express “Prepare in advance”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 防患未然 used?
Situation: By planning ahead, the company avoided potential crises.
What is the pinyin for 防患未然?
The pinyin pronunciation for 防患未然 is “fáng huàn wèi rán”.