三思而行

Pronunciation: sān sī ér xíng Literal meaning: Think three times then act

Origin & Usage

This one comes from the Analects, on Ji Wenzi, who thought (思) three times (三) before acting (行). The passage is usually quoted as praise, but Confucius's actual response was dry: twice is enough. The idiom therefore recommends something its source gently mocks — deliberation past the point of usefulness is its own failure. Modern usage advises careful thought before acting, and has entirely lost Confucius's reply.

Examples

English: "She carefully considered all implications before making the decision"

Chinese: 她在做决定之前仔细考虑了所有影响