亡羊补牢
亡羊补牢 (wáng yáng bǔ láo) literally means “fix pen after lost sheep” and expresses “never too late to fix”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning.
Also searched as: wang yang bu lao, wang yang bu lao,亡羊补牢 meaning, 亡羊补牢 in english
Never too late to fix
Pronunciation: wáng yáng bǔ láo Literal meaning: Fix pen after lost sheep
Origin & Usage
The Strategies of the Warring States gives it to the minister Zhuang Xin, speaking to the King of Chu after part of the kingdom has already been lost: seeing the hare and turning to call the hound is not too late, and mending (补) the pen (牢) after losing (亡) the sheep (羊) is not too late either — 亡羊补牢，未为迟也. Modern speech usually completes it as 亡羊补牢，为时未晚. The proverb concedes the loss and refuses to treat it as final, and it urges fixing the fault that caused it rather than dwelling on what is gone.
Examples
English: "After the security breach, the company finally upgraded their systems"
Chinese: 在安全漏洞事件后，公司终于升级了系统
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about wisdom & learning
歧路亡羊
qí lù wáng yáng
Too many choices lead nowhere
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亡羊得牛
wáng yáng dé niú
A small loss that yields a greater gain
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羚羊挂角
líng yáng guà jiǎo
Artistry that leaves no trace
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羊质虎皮
yáng zhì hǔ pí
Imposing outside, timid within
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虎入羊群
hǔ rù yáng qún
Unstoppable force against the defenceless
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羊肠小道
yáng cháng xiǎo dào
A narrow, winding, difficult road
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挂羊头卖狗肉
guà yáng tóu mài gǒu ròu
Advertise one thing and deliver another
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顺手牵羊
shùn shǒu qiān yáng
Exploit small opportunities
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 亡羊补牢 mean in English?
亡羊补牢 (wáng yáng bǔ láo) literally translates to “Fix pen after lost sheep” and is used to express “Never too late to fix”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 亡羊补牢 used?
Situation: After the security breach, the company finally upgraded their systems
What is the pinyin for 亡羊补牢?
The pinyin pronunciation for 亡羊补牢 is “wáng yáng bǔ láo”.
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