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亡羊补牢

wáng yáng bǔ láo
HSK 3.0 Level 7 Rare

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Definitions

  1. 1. lit. to mend the pen after sheep are lost (idiom)
  2. 2. fig. to act belatedly
  3. 3. better late than never
  4. 4. to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted

Usage notes

Common mistakes

常被误认为与“及时”相关,实际强调“弥补过失、为时未晚”。

Formality

多用于书面语或正式劝诫场合,日常口语较少使用。

Example Sentences

2 shown
虽然你已经犯了错,但 亡羊补牢 ,为时未晚。
Although you've made a mistake, it's not too late to mend.
亡羊补牢
Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 414466)

Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org. AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.