三思而后行 — “To think carefully and repeatedly before taking action”
三思而后行 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to think carefully and repeatedly before taking action”. To consider all aspects thoroughly before proceeding. Literally, “Think thrice and then act”.
Frequency
三思而后行 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 三sān
- 思sī
- 而ér
- 后hòu
- 行xíng
三思而后行 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 三思而后行
在做任何重大决定之前，我们都应该三思而后行，避免仓促犯错。
Before making any major decision, we should think thrice before acting to avoid making hasty mistakes.
Origin and Story of 三思而后行
During the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius traveled with his disciples through various states to promote his benevolent governance.
After encountering difficulties in the State of Lu, as he was leaving the State of Wei, he summarized his experiences in Lu.
He told his son-in-law, Gongye Chang, and his disciple Zigong, among others: 'Among the officials in power in Lu, only Ji Wenzi handles affairs without impulsiveness; he thinks thrice before acting.'
His disciples quickly recorded his words.
Idioms Related to 三思而后行
Synonyms of 三思而后行
More idioms starting with 三
- sān三sān三liǎng两liǎng两in small groups
- sān三sān三wǔ五wǔ五in small scattered groups
- sān三sān三sì四sì四in small groups
- sān三xià下wǔ五chú除èr二do something quickly and efficiently
- sān三bù不niù拗liù六the minority cannot overrule the majority
- sān三bù不zhī知utterly ignorant of something
- sān三gè个chòu臭pí皮jiang匠，，hé合chéng成yí一gè个zhū诸gě葛liàng亮Collective wisdom is powerful
- sān三gè个chòu臭pí皮jiang匠，，sài赛guò过zhū诸gě葛liàng亮Collective wisdom surpasses individual genius
- sān三wǔ五chéng成qún群in small groups
- sān三qīn亲liù六gù故relatives and old friends
- sān三qīn亲liù六juàn眷all one's relatives
- sān三qīn亲sì四juàn眷all one's relatives and kinsfolk
Questions about 三思而后行
- What does 三思而后行 mean?
- 三思而后行 (sān sī ér hòu xíng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to think carefully and repeatedly before taking action”.
- How do you pronounce 三思而后行?
- 三思而后行 is pronounced sān sī ér hòu xíng in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 三思而后行 literally mean?
- Literally, 三思而后行 means “Think thrice and then act”. It is used to mean “to think carefully and repeatedly before taking action”.
- Where does 三思而后行 come from?
- 三思而后行 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 三思而后行?
- 三：再三，表示多次。指经过反复考虑，然后再去做。