从前,有一个人养了很多羊。
Long ago, a man kept many sheep.
他的羊圈上有一个洞。
His sheep pen had a hole in it.
晚上,狼从洞里进来了。
At night, a wolf came in through the hole.
狼吃了一只羊。
The wolf ate one sheep.
邻居说:“快把洞补上吧!”
A neighbor said, "Hurry and mend that hole!"
他说:“羊已经没了,补它做什么?”
He said, "The sheep is already gone. Why mend it?"
第二天,狼又吃了一只羊。
The next day, the wolf ate another sheep.
他很后悔,马上把洞补好了。
He was very sorry and mended the hole right away.
从那以后,他再也没有丢过羊。
From then on, he never lost a sheep again.
这个成语是“亡羊补牢”。
This idiom is "mend the pen after losing a sheep."
意思是:出了问题,马上改还不晚。
It means: when something goes wrong, it is not too late to fix it right away.
例句:你现在开始学习,亡羊补牢,还来得及。
Example: Start studying now — better late than never, there is still time.
Hover a word for its pinyin & meaning; click to pin it.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 从前 | cóng qián | in the past; once upon a time |
| 有 | yǒu | to have; there is, there are |
| 一个人 | yī gè rén | by oneself (without assistance); alone (without company) |
| 养 | yǎng | to raise; to keep |
| 了 | le | (particle indicating completed action or change of state) |
| 很多 | hěn duō | Many; a lot |
| 羊 | yáng | sheep; goat; (surname) Yang |
| 他的 | tā de | His |
| 圈 | juàn | livestock enclosure; pen; fold; sty |
| 上 | shàng | up; on |
| 一个 | yī ge | a; an; one; the whole (afternoon, summer vacation etc) |
| 洞 | dòng | cave; hole; (used when spelling out numbers) |
| 晚上 | wǎn shang | evening |
| 狼 | láng | wolf |
| 从 | cóng | from |
| 里 | lǐ | inside; interior; within |
| 进来 | jìn lái | to come in |
| 吃 | chī | to eat |
| 一只 | yī zhī | A measure word for animals, meaning 'one' or 'a single' |
| 邻居 | lín jū | neighbor |
| 说 | shuō | to speak; to say |
| 快 | kuài | fast; quick; soon |
| 把 | bǎ | to hold; (structural particle indicating the object before the verb) |
| 补 | bǔ | to mend; to repair; to supplement |
| 吧 | ba | modal particle indicating suggestion |
| 他说 | tā shuō | he says |
| 已经 | yǐ jīng | already |
| 没了 | méi le | to be dead; not to be, or cease to exist |
| 它 | tā | it |
| 做 | zuò | to do; to make |
| 什么 | shén me | what |
| 第二天 | dì èr tiān | next day; the morrow |
| 又 | yòu | again; also |
| 他 | tā | he; him |
| 很 | hěn | very |
| 后悔 | hòu huǐ | to regret; to feel remorse |
| 马上 | mǎ shàng | right away; immediately |
| 好了 | hǎo le | done; ready; all right then; okay (signaling something is finished or ending a discussion) |
| 从那以后 | cóng nà yǐ hòu | since then |
| 再也 | zài yě | no longer; not anymore |
| 没有 | méi yǒu | don't have; haven't |
| 丢 | diū | to lose; to throw (away) |
| 过 | guò | to pass; past experience |
| 这个 | zhè ge | (pronoun) this; (adjective) this |
| 成语 | chéng yǔ | idiom; set expression |
| 是 | shì | to be; correct |
| 亡羊补牢 | wáng yáng bǔ láo | lit. to mend the pen after sheep are lost (idiom); fig. to act belatedly; better late than never |
| 意思 | yì si | meaning; idea |
| 出 | chū | to go out |
| 问题 | wèn tí | question; problem |
| 改 | gǎi | to change; to correct |
| 还 | hái | still; yet |
| 不 | bù | no; not |
| 晚 | wǎn | late |
| 例句 | lì jù | example sentence |
| 你 | nǐ | you |
| 现在 | xiàn zài | now |
| 开始 | kāi shǐ | to begin; to start |
| 学习 | xué xí | to study |
| 来得及 | lái de jí | to have enough time; to be in time |