为虺弗摧 — “To nip trouble in the bud”

为虺弗摧 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to nip trouble in the bud”. To eliminate potential threats or problems while they are still small, to prevent future serious consequences.

Frequency

为虺弗摧 Pronunciation and Pinyin

为虺弗摧 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
为	wéi	4	to be or to do
虺	huǐ	9	ancient venomous snake
弗	fú	5	not; do not
摧	cuī	14	destroy, break, or ruin

Example Sentence with 为虺弗摧

我们必须吸取教训，为虺弗摧，把潜在的安全隐患彻底清除，确保项目的顺利进行。

We must learn from this lesson and nip trouble in the bud by thoroughly eliminating potential safety hazards to ensure the smooth progress of the project.

Origin and Story of 为虺弗摧

In 494 BC, King Fuchai of the State of Wu led his army to a decisive victory over King Goujian of the State of Yue at Fujiao, also conquering Yue's capital city.

King Goujian then sent his minister Wen Zhong to seek peace with Wu, which King Fuchai was inclined to accept. However, Wu Zixu, a wise official, strongly opposed this, warning, "If a small viper is not crushed, what will you do when it becomes a large snake?" (为虺弗摧，为蛇将若何？). He meant that failing to eliminate a weak enemy would inevitably lead to future troubles.

King Fuchai disregarded Wu Zixu's advice and did not completely destroy Yue. True to Wu Zixu's prophecy, King Goujian, after patiently enduring hardship, eventually annihilated the State of Wu twenty years later.