BeginnerChinese Idiom (成语)

亡羊补牢

wáng yáng bǔ láo

“To mend the pen after the sheep is lost”

Meaning: It's never too late to fix a mistake; to take corrective action after a loss; better late than never

Character-by-Character Breakdown

The Story Behind 亡羊补牢

Source:《战国策·楚策四》

Period:Warring States Period (475–221 BCE)

The Lost Sheep

A farmer had a sheep pen, but the fence had a hole in it.

One day, a sheep escaped through the hole and was lost.

The farmer's neighbor advised him: "You should repair the pen now to prevent more sheep from escaping."

The farmer replied: "The sheep is already lost. What's the use of mending the pen now?"

The next day, another sheep escaped through the same hole.

Realizing his mistake, the farmer finally repaired the pen, preventing further losses.

The story teaches that it's never too late to fix a mistake and prevent future problems.

Original Classical Chinese

见兔而顾犬，未为晚也；亡羊而补牢，未为迟也。

How to Use 亡羊补牢

This idiom is used to encourage taking corrective action after a mistake or loss, emphasizing that it's better to fix problems late than never.

It promotes the idea that learning from mistakes and taking preventive measures is valuable, even after damage has been done.

The idiom is often used positively to encourage people not to give up after a setback.

When to use:

Use when encouraging someone to fix a mistake or take corrective action
Often used positively to emphasize that it's better late than never
Can be used as motivation after a setback or loss

Common Mistake

Don't use this idiom for situations where it's genuinely too late or when the damage is irreversible. It specifically refers to situations where corrective action can still prevent further problems.

Example Sentences

虽然考试没考好，但亡羊补牢，现在开始努力学习还来得及。

Suīrán kǎoshì méi kǎo hǎo, dàn wáng yáng bǔ láo, xiànzài kāishǐ nǔlì xuéxí hái láidéjí.

Although the exam didn't go well, it's not too late to mend the pen. Starting to study hard now is still timely.

公司出现了问题，我们要亡羊补牢，及时采取措施。

Gōngsī chūxiàn le wèntí, wǒmen yào wáng yáng bǔ láo, jíshí cǎiqǔ cuòshī.

The company has problems. We need to take corrective action and implement measures in time.

亡羊补牢，为时未晚。我们应该从错误中学习。

Wáng yáng bǔ láo, wéi shí wèi wǎn. Wǒmen yīnggāi cóng cuòwù zhōng xuéxí.

It's never too late to mend the pen. We should learn from our mistakes.

Practice Writing

Generate a free printable worksheet with all 4 characters from this idiom.

Generate Worksheet (4 Characters)

Or explore each character:

亡stroke order 羊stroke order 补stroke order 牢stroke order

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 亡羊补牢 (wáng yáng bǔ láo) mean?

亡羊补牢 literally means "to mend the pen after the sheep is lost." Figuratively, it means it's never too late to fix a mistake, or to take corrective action after a loss. It emphasizes that better late than never.

What is the story behind 亡羊补牢?

The idiom comes from "Strategies of the Warring States" (战国策). A farmer lost a sheep because his pen had a hole. His neighbor advised him to repair it, but he said it was too late. When another sheep escaped, he finally mended the pen, preventing further losses.

How do you use 亡羊补牢 in a sentence?

Use 亡羊补牢 when encouraging corrective action after a mistake. For example: "虽然考试没考好，但亡羊补牢，现在开始努力学习还来得及" (Although the exam didn't go well, it's not too late to mend the pen. Starting to study hard now is still timely).

What is the opposite of 亡羊补牢?

The opposite would be idioms like 为时已晚 (wéi shí yǐ wǎn, it's too late) or 覆水难收 (fù shuǐ nán shōu, split water cannot be recovered), which emphasize that it's too late to fix something.

Is 亡羊补牢 difficult to learn?

亡羊补牢 is considered beginner-friendly. It uses relatively common characters (亡 HSK4, 羊 HSK3, 补 HSK3, 牢 HSK5), has a memorable story, and the meaning is straightforward. It's one of the most commonly taught Chinese idioms.