a stitch in time saves nine

English

Etymology

From the practice of mending a small tear in cloth before it becomes a larger one.

Proverb

a stitch in time saves nine

1. A little effort expended sooner to fix a small problem prevents it from becoming a larger problem requiring more effort to fix later. A little preparation can eliminate the need for repairs later.

Translations

a timely effort can prevent larger problems

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 小洞不補，大洞吃苦, 小洞不补，大洞吃苦 (xiǎo dòng bù bǔ, dà dòng chīkǔ), 防微杜漸 (zh), 防微杜渐 (zh) (fángwēidùjiàn), 事半功倍 (zh) (shìbàngōngbèi) (half the work, twice the effect)

• Dutch: werk op tijd maakt welbereid
• Finnish: parempi katsoa kuin katua
• French: mieux vaut prévenir que guérir (fr)
• German: was du heute kannst besorgen, das verschiebe nicht auf morgen (de)
• Greek: κάλλιο γαϊδουρόδενε παρά γαϊδουρογύρευε (kállio gaïdouródene pará gaïdourogýreve)
• Hungarian: a rest kétszer fárad (hu)
• Italian: meglio prevenire che curare, prevenire è meglio che curare, è meglio prevenire che curare

• Korean: 호미로 막을 것을 가래로 막는다 (ko) (homiro mageul geodeul garaero mangneunda) (what can be stopped up with a short-handled hoe must be done with a shovel later)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: utsett ikke til i morgen, det du kan gjøre i dag (no)

• Portuguese: é melhor prevenir do que remediar
• Russian: оди́н стежо́к, сде́ланный во́время, сто́ит девяти́ (odín stežók, sdélannyj vóvremja, stóit devjatí)
• Serbo-Croatian: ono što možeš učiniti danas, ne ostavljaj za sutra
• Spanish: más vale prevenir que curar
• Turkish: bir mıh nal kurtarır, bir nal bir at kurtarır