每天成语
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三思而后行

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: sān sī ér hòu xíng
  • English Translation: Think twice before you act (Look before you leap)
  • Idiom Composition: 「三」（Three; used figuratively here to mean "repeatedly" or "thoroughly" rather than a literal count.）＋「思」（To think, reflect, or deliberate.）＋「而」（A conjunction used here to indicate a sequence, meaning "and then."）＋「后」（After or afterwards.）＋「行」（To act, do, or carry out an action.）
  • Meaning: To think carefully and repeatedly before taking action. It is a common expression used to warn against impulsive behavior and to encourage prudence.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「三思而后行」 contains the following nuances:

  • The Interpretation of "Three": In classical Chinese, the number "three" often represents "many" or "repeatedly." Therefore, the idiom does not literally mean to think exactly three times, but rather to give a matter exhaustive consideration.
  • Encouraging Prudence: The idiom emphasizes the importance of planning and evaluation before starting a project to mitigate risks and prevent avoidable failures.

3. Usage

「三思而后行」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Advice and Warnings: Used when urging someone who is about to make a major decision to avoid haste and consider all possibilities.
    • Example:「这是一个重大的决定，希望你能三思而后行。」
      （This is a major decision; I hope you will think twice before you act.)
  • Personal Principles: Used to describe a steady, prudent personality or a professional approach to work.
    • Example:「他做事一向稳重，凡事都会三思而后行。」
      （He is always steady in his work and thinks carefully before taking any action.)
  • Reflection and Regret: Used when looking back on a failure and realizing it was caused by acting too impulsively.
    • Example:「这次失败是因为太冲动了，以后一定要三思而后行。」
      （This failure was due to being too impulsive; from now on, I must look before I leap.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 遇到突发情况不要慌张，要冷静下来，三思而后行。
    （Don't panic when encountering unexpected situations; stay calm and think things through before acting.）
  2. 投资有风险，入市需谨慎，请务必三思而后行。
    （Investment carries risk, and entering the market requires caution; please be sure to deliberate thoroughly before you act.）
  3. 俗话说“三思而后行”，但这并不意味着要犹豫不决。
    （As the saying goes, "think three times before acting," but this does not mean one should be indecisive.）
  4. 为了避免不必要的误会，说话之前最好三思而后行。
    （To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, it is best to think twice before speaking.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Source: This idiom comes from the Analects (论语), specifically the Gongye Chang chapter. It records that a high official named Ji Wenzi (季文子) would 'think three times before acting.'
  • Confucius's Critique: Interestingly, Confucius (孔子) did not entirely praise this behavior. When he heard about Ji Wenzi's extreme caution, he remarked, 'Twice is enough.' Confucius (孔子) believed that over-deliberation could lead to hesitation and missed opportunities.
  • Modern Evolution: Despite the original context where Confucius (孔子) warned against overthinking, the modern usage of 三思而后行 (sān sī ér hòu xíng) has evolved into a standard piece of advice praising the virtue of being thorough and cautious.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

三思而后行 (sān sī ér hòu xíng) is a didactic idiom advising that one should deliberate thoroughly before acting. It is frequently used in business and life to caution against rash decisions. While it originated in the Analects (论语) with a nuance that overthinking can be counterproductive, in modern Chinese, it has become a purely positive endorsement of prudence and careful planning.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 1

Idiom Essay

sān sī ér hòu xíng
三思而后行
Think Twice Before You Act
nǐ你yǒu méi yǒu有没有guò过zhè yàng这样de的jīng lì经历？

Have you ever had an experience like this?

yīn wèi因为yì diǎn一点xiǎo shì小事gēn跟rén人chǎo jià吵架，zài在shǒu jī手机lǐ里dǎ打le了yī dà duàn一大段shēng qì生气de的huà话，shǒu zhǐ手指tíng停zài在fā sòng发送jiàn键shàng上，yóu yù犹豫le了jǐ miǎo zhōng几秒钟，zuì hòu最后hái shì还是bǎ把zì字quán全shān删le了。

You get into an argument with someone over something trivial, type a long, angry message on your phone, and hesitate for a few seconds with your finger over the send button—then finally delete the whole thing.

yòu又huò zhě或者，shēn yè深夜zài在wǎng shàng网上kàn zhòng看中yī jiàn一件hěn很guì贵de的dōng xī东西，fàng jìn放进gòu wù chē购物车，guò过le了liǎng tiān两天zài再kàn看，fā xiàn发现zì jǐ自己qí shí其实gēn běn根本bù不xū yào需要。

Or perhaps you see something very expensive online late at night, put it in your shopping cart, and when you look at it again two days later, realize that you actually do not need it at all.

rú guǒ如果nǐ你zài在chōng dòng冲动de的nà那yī kè一刻，shēn biān身边zhèng hǎo正好yǒu有gè个lěng jìng冷静de的péng yǒu朋友，tā他hěn很kě néng可能huì会quàn劝nǐ你：“xiān先bié别jí急，zhè这jiàn件shì事nǐ你zuì hǎo最好sān sī ér hòu xíng三思而后行。”

If there happened to be a calm friend beside you at that impulsive moment, they would probably advise you, “Don’t rush. You’d better think twice before you act.”

zhè lǐ这里de的“sān三”，bìng并bú shì不是zhēn de真的ràng让nǐ你shù数yī 、 èr 、 sān一、二、三，tā它zài在zhōng wén中文lǐ里cháng cháng常常dài biǎo代表duō cì多次、fǎn fù反复。

The “three” here does not literally mean counting one, two, three; in Chinese, it often represents doing something repeatedly or considering it several times.

“sī思”shì是sī kǎo思考，“xíng行”shì是xíng dòng行动。

“思” means to think, and “行” means to act.

“sān sī ér hòu xíng三思而后行”，yì si意思jiù shì就是zài在zuò做jué dìng决定huò zhě或者cǎi qǔ xíng dòng采取行动zhī qián之前，xiān先fǎn fù反复kǎo lǜ考虑qīng chǔ清楚。

“三思而后行” means to consider something carefully and repeatedly before making a decision or taking action.

zài在shēng huó生活lǐ里，wǒ men我们bú huì不会bǎ把zhè ge这个cí词yòng用zài在“zhōng wǔ中午chī吃shén me什么”zhè zhǒng这种xiǎo shì小事shàng上。

In daily life, we would not use this expression for a minor matter like “What should we eat for lunch?”

dāng当bié rén别人quàn劝nǐ你“sān sī ér hòu xíng三思而后行”shí时，wǎng wǎng往往yì wèi zhe意味着zhè这jiàn shì件事hòu guǒ后果bǐ jiào比较yán zhòng严重，yí dàn一旦zuò做le了jiù就hěn很nán难huí tóu回头。

When someone advises you to “think twice before you act,” it often means that the consequences could be serious and that it would be difficult to turn back once you have done it.

bǐ rú比如，hái还méi没zhǎo找hǎo好xīn新gōng zuò工作jiù就xiǎng想cí zhí辞职，huò zhě或者bǎ把suǒ yǒu所有cún kuǎn存款dōu都tóu投jìn进yí gè一个mò shēng陌生de的xiàng mù项目lǐ里。

For example, you might want to quit your job before finding a new one, or invest all your savings in an unfamiliar project.

zhè shí hòu这时候shuō说yī jù一句“nǐ你yào要sān sī ér hòu xíng三思而后行”，yǔ qì语气tōng cháng通常shì是rèn zhēn认真ér qiě而且shàn yì善意de的，mù dì目的shì是gěi给zhèng zài正在tóu nǎo头脑fā rè发热de的rén人jiàng jiàng wēn降降温。

At such a time, saying “You should think twice before you act” is usually serious but well-intentioned, meant to cool down someone who is acting in the heat of the moment.

bù guò不过，zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语bèi hòu背后hái yǒu还有yí gè一个tǐng挺yǒu yì si有意思de的xì jié细节。

However, there is also a rather interesting detail behind this idiom.

tā它zuì最zǎo早chū zì出自《lún yǔ论语》，shuō说de的shì是gǔ dài古代yǒu有yī wèi一位guān yuán官员，zuò做shén me什么shì事dōu都yào要“sān sī ér hòu xíng三思而后行”。

It originally comes from the Analects, which tells of an ancient official who thought three times before doing anything.

méi xiǎng dào没想到kǒng zi孔子tīng shuō听说hòu后，fǎn ér反而píng jià评价shuō说：“xiǎng想liǎng cì两次jiù就gòu够le了。”

Unexpectedly, when Confucius heard about this, he commented, “Thinking twice is enough.”

yīn wèi因为zài在kǒng zi孔子kàn lái看来，xiǎng想dé得tài duō太多、gù lǜ顾虑tài duō太多，rén人kě néng可能jiù就shī qù失去le了xíng dòng行动de的yǒng qì勇气。

In Confucius’s view, if people think too much and worry about too many things, they may lose the courage to act.

huà话suī虽zhè me这么shuō说，dào到le了jīn tiān今天，tā它yǐ jīng已经wán quán完全biàn chéng变成le了yī jù一句quàn劝rén人jǐn shèn谨慎de的hǎo huà好话。

That may be true, but today the expression has completely become a kind reminder to be cautious.

bì jìng毕竟xiàn zài现在gàn shén me干什么dōu都tài太kuài快le了，diǎn点yī xià一下píng mù屏幕jiù就néng能huā qián花钱，àn按yī xià一下shǒu jī手机jiù就néng能fā chū发出shōu收bù不huí lái回来de的huà话。

After all, everything is so fast nowadays: you can spend money with one tap on a screen and send words that cannot be taken back with one press on your phone.

xiāng bǐ相比yú于xiǎng想dé得tài duō太多，wǒ men我们dà duō shù大多数rén人gèng更xū yào需要tí xǐng提醒zì jǐ自己de的，wǎng wǎng往往hái shì还是màn慢yì diǎn一点，sān sī ér hòu xíng三思而后行。

Rather than thinking too much, what most of us usually need to remind ourselves is to slow down and think twice before we act.

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