亡羊补牢
wáng yáng bǔ láo
Pinyin

Definition

亡羊补牢
 - 
wáng yáng bǔ láo
  1. lit. to mend the pen after sheep are lost (idiom)
  2. fig. to act belatedly
  3. better late than never
  4. to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted

Character Decomposition

Related Words (20)

死亡
sǐ wáng
  1. 1 to die
  2. 2 death
白羊座
Bái yáng zuò
  1. 1 Aries (constellation and sign of the zodiac)
羊
Yáng
  1. 1 surname Yang
羊毛
yáng máo
  1. 1 fleece
  2. 2 wool
  3. 3 woolen
亡
wáng
  1. 1 to die
  2. 2 to lose
  3. 3 to be gone
  4. 4 to flee
  5. 5 deceased
亡国
wáng guó
  1. 1 (of a nation) to be destroyed
  2. 2 subjugation
  3. 3 vanquished nation
亡灵
wáng líng
  1. 1 departed spirit
伤亡
shāng wáng
  1. 1 casualties
  2. 2 injuries and deaths
地牢
dì láo
  1. 1 prison
  2. 2 dungeon
坐牢
zuò láo
  1. 1 to be imprisoned
山羊
shān yáng
  1. 1 goat
  2. 2 (gymnastics) small-sized vaulting horse
放羊
fàng yáng
  1. 1 to tend a flock of sheep
  2. 2 to let sheep out to pasture
  3. 3 fig. to throw off the reins
  4. 4 to leave sb alone
  5. 5 acting freely and irresponsibly
涮羊肉
shuàn yáng ròu
  1. 1 Mongolian hot pot
  2. 2 instant-boiled mutton (dish)
沦亡
lún wáng
  1. 1 (of a country) to perish
  2. 2 to be annexed
  3. 3 subjugation (to a foreign power)
灭亡
miè wáng
  1. 1 to be destroyed
  2. 2 to become extinct
  3. 3 to perish
  4. 4 to die out
  5. 5 to destroy
  6. 6 to exterminate
牢
láo
  1. 1 firm
  2. 2 sturdy
  3. 3 fold (for animals)
  4. 4 sacrifice
  5. 5 prison
牢固
láo gù
  1. 1 firm
  2. 2 secure
牢牢
láo láo
  1. 1 firmly
  2. 2 safely
牢记
láo jì
  1. 1 to keep in mind
  2. 2 to remember
牢骚
láo sāo
  1. 1 discontent
  2. 2 complaint
  3. 3 to complain

Idioms (20)

亡命之徒
wáng mìng zhī tú
  1. 1 runaway (idiom); desperate criminal
  2. 2 fugitive
亡国灭种
wáng guó miè zhǒng
  1. 1 country destroyed, its people annihilated (idiom); total destruction
亡羊补牢
wáng yáng bǔ láo
  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
人为财死，鸟为食亡
rén wèi cái sǐ , niǎo wèi shí wáng
  1. 1 lit. human beings will die for riches, just as birds will for food (idiom)
  2. 2 fig. man will do anything in his means to become rich
人琴俱亡
rén qín jù wàng
  1. 1 person and lute have both vanished (idiom)
  2. 2 death of a close friend
名存实亡
míng cún shí wáng
  1. 1 the name remains, but the reality is gone (idiom)
唇亡齿寒
chún wáng chǐ hán
  1. 1 lit. without the lips, the teeth feel the cold (idiom); fig. intimately interdependent
国家兴亡，匹夫有责
guó jiā xīng wáng , pǐ fū yǒu zé
  1. 1 The rise and fall of the nation concerns everyone (idiom). Everyone bears responsibility for the prosperity of society.
国破家亡
guó pò jiā wáng
  1. 1 the country ruined and the people starving (idiom)
天下兴亡，匹夫有责
tiān xià xīng wáng , pǐ fū yǒu zé
  1. 1 The rise and fall of the nation concerns everyone (idiom). Everyone bears responsibility for the prosperity of society.
家破人亡
jiā pò rén wáng
  1. 1 family bankrupt and the people dead (idiom); ruined and orphaned
  2. 2 destitute and homeless
挂羊头卖狗肉
guà yáng tóu mài gǒu ròu
  1. 1 lit. to hang a sheep's head while selling dog meat (idiom)
  2. 2 fig. to cheat
  3. 3 dishonest advertising
  4. 4 wicked deeds carried out under banner of virtue
有名亡实
yǒu míng wáng shí
  1. 1 lit. has a name but no reality (idiom); exists only in name
  2. 2 nominal
杀牛宰羊
shā niú zǎi yáng
  1. 1 slaughter the cattle and butcher the sheep
  2. 2 to prepare a big feast (idiom)
杀猪宰羊
shā zhū zǎi yáng
  1. 1 to kill the pigs and slaughter the sheep (idiom)
毛出在羊身上
máo chū zài yáng shēn shàng
  1. 1 lit. wool comes from the sheep's back (idiom); One gets the benefit, but the price has been paid.
  2. 2 Nothing comes for free.
满腹牢骚
mǎn fù láo sāo
  1. 1 lit. belly full of complaints (idiom)
  2. 2 discontent
  3. 3 always moaning and complaining
牵羊担酒
qiān yáng dān jiǔ
  1. 1 pulling a lamb and bringing wine on a carrying pole (idiom); fig. to offer elaborate congratulations
  2. 2 to kill the fatted calf
画地为牢
huà dì wéi láo
  1. 1 lit. to be confined within a circle drawn on the ground (idiom)
  2. 2 fig. to confine oneself to a restricted range of activities
羊入虎口
yáng rù hǔ kǒu
  1. 1 lit. a lamb in a tiger's den (idiom)
  2. 2 fig. to tread dangerous ground

Sample Sentences

我看情况不妙。政府现在救市是亡羊补牢，已经晚了。不过美国好多债券都在我们中国人手里，这下可把我们害惨了。
wǒ kàn qíngkuàng bùmiào 。zhèngfǔ xiànzài jiùshì shì wángyángbǔláo ，yǐjīng wǎn le 。bùguò Měiguó hǎo duō zhàiquàn dōu zài wǒmen Zhōngguórén shǒu lǐ ，zhè xià kě bǎ wǒmen hài cǎn le 。
I think the situation is grim. The government's closing the barn door after the horse has left, trying rescue the markets now. It's already too late. But a lot of American debt is in Chinese hands. This could really hurt us badly.
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你这个当爸爸的，平时多带他出去亲近一下自然，别等以后真近视了才想着亡羊补牢！
nǐ zhège dāng bàba de ，píngshí duō dài tā chūqù qīnjìn yīxià zìrán ，bié děng yǐhòu zhēn jìnshì le cái xiǎng zhe wángyángbǔláo ！
As his father you should take him out more often to get close to nature, don't wait for nearsightedness to happen then take measures.
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