How do you pronounce 三思而行?

三思而行 is pronounced sān sī ér xíng in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 三思而行 literally mean?

Literally, 三思而行 means “Think thrice and then act”. It is used to mean “to think carefully and repeatedly before taking action”.

Where does 三思而行 come from?

三思而行 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 三思而行?

三：再三，表示多次。指经过反复考虑，然后再去做。

三思而行 — “To think carefully and repeatedly before taking action”

三思而行 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to think carefully and repeatedly before taking action”. To exercise caution and deliberation. Literally, “Think thrice and then act”.

Frequency

三思而行 Pronunciation and Pinyin

三sān
思sī
而ér
行xíng

三思而行 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
三	sān	3	the number three
思	sī	9	think, ponder, miss
而	ér	6	and, but, then
行	xíng	6	to walk, act, or a line

Example Sentence with 三思而行

在做任何重要决定之前，我们都应该三思而行，以免将来后悔。

Before making any important decision, we should think thrice and then act, to avoid future regrets.

Origin and Story of 三思而行

During the Spring and Autumn period, Ji Wenzi, a high-ranking official of the State of Lu, was known for his extreme caution. He insisted on practicing '三思而行' (think thrice before acting) in everything, meaning he would consider things multiple times before deciding whether to do them or not.

Confucius, however, did not fully agree with his approach. He believed that 'thinking twice' (再思) was usually sufficient, and that 'thinking thrice' (三思) might lead to indecision, being overly concerned about potential gains and losses, and ultimately hindering action.

Nevertheless, one should always analyze problems objectively from multiple perspectives.

Idioms Related to 三思而行

Synonyms of 三思而行

Antonyms of 三思而行

More idioms starting with 三

Questions about 三思而行

What does 三思而行 mean?: 三思而行 (sān sī ér xíng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to think carefully and repeatedly before taking action”.
How do you pronounce 三思而行?: 三思而行 is pronounced sān sī ér xíng in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 三思而行 literally mean?: Literally, 三思而行 means “Think thrice and then act”. It is used to mean “to think carefully and repeatedly before taking action”.
Where does 三思而行 come from?: 三思而行 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 三思而行?: 三：再三，表示多次。指经过反复考虑，然后再去做。

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