杜渐防微 — “To nip evil in the bud”

杜渐防微 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to nip evil in the bud”. To prevent minor problems from escalating by stopping them at the very beginning. Literally, “Block the incipient, prevent the subtle”.

Frequency

杜渐防微 Pronunciation and Pinyin

杜渐防微 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
杜	dù	7	prevent or stop
渐	jiàn	11	gradually, little by little
防	fáng	7	guard against, prevent
微	wēi	13	tiny, subtle, or slight

Example Sentence with 杜渐防微

我们应该从日常小事做起，杜渐防微，避免更大的错误发生。

We should start from small daily matters, nipping potential problems in the bud to prevent bigger mistakes from occurring.

Origin and Story of 杜渐防微

Ding Hong lived during the Eastern Han Dynasty. From a young age, he was intelligent and diligent in his studies, showing deep understanding of classical texts. After his father's death, according to the hereditary tradition of the time, he, as the eldest son, should have inherited his father's title. However, he submitted a petition to the imperial court, requesting to yield the title to his younger brother, and then went into hiding. Later, the court did not grant his request, and he was discovered. After repeated persuasion, he returned home and accepted the emperor's enfeoffment.

When Emperor He, Liu Zhao, ascended the throne, he was young and incapable, so the real power was held by Empress Dowager Dou. At that time, Empress Dowager Dou's brother, Dou Xian, held the very prominent position of Grand General. He formed cliques, arranging for his family members to occupy important posts. They colluded with each other and committed many evil deeds, effectively turning the imperial court into the 'Dou family's empire'. Ding Hong was very concerned by this situation.

He seized the opportunity of a solar eclipse that year, which ancient people considered an ominous sign, to persuade the emperor. He urged Emperor He to take timely action to curb the Dou family's power while it was still manageable, thereby preventing greater trouble. He memorialized the emperor, stating: 'If Your Majesty personally takes charge of governing the country and discovers the first signs of trouble, you should promptly stop and eliminate it. In this way, danger can be avoided, and calamity can be removed.' He further gave examples: 'The destruction of rocks is due to the continuous erosion of trickling water; trees that can provide ample shade against the sun grow from tiny, tender seedlings. Problems are easy to stop when they are just beginning, but once they have developed and grown strong, they become difficult to eradicate.'

Ding Hong's words perfectly aligned with Emperor He's own thoughts, as the emperor had already felt that power was slipping from his grasp. Consequently, he dismissed Dou Xian from his official position. Dou Xian was then forced to commit suicide.