better safe than sorry

English

Proverb

better safe than sorry

It is preferable to be cautious in one's choices and actions than to act recklessly and suffer afterwards.
- 1985, Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (lyrics and music), “Take On Me”, in Hunting High and Low, performed by a-ha:
  But I'll be stumbling away / Slowly learning that life is OK / Say after me / It's no better to be safe than sorry

Translations

it is preferable to be cautious

Arabic: please add this translation if you can
Bulgarian: който сам се пази и Бог го пази (kojto sam se pazi i Bog go pazi)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 小心駛得萬年船／小心驶得万年船 (xiǎoxīn shǐ dé wàn nián chuán)
Faroese: betur fyrivarin enn eftirsnarin
Finnish: parempi virsta väärää kuin vaaksa vaaraa, varmuus on aina paras, parempi katsoa kuin katua
French: mieux vaut prévenir que guérir (fr)
German: Vorsicht ist besser als Nachsicht
Greek: κάλλιο γαϊδουρόδενε παρά γαϊδουρογύρευε (el) (kállio gaïdouródene pará gaïdourogýreve)
Hungarian: jobb félni, mint megijedni (hu)
Icelandic: það er betra að hafa vaðið fyrir neðan sig, allur er varinn góður
Italian: la prudenza non è mai troppa, meglio prevenire che curare
Japanese: 転ばぬ先の杖 (ja) (ころばぬさきのつえ, korobanu saki no tsue)
Macedonian: подобро спречи, отколку лечи (podobro spreči, otkolku leči), двапати мери, еднаш сечи (dvapati meri, ednaš seči)
Malay:
Jawi: بيار لمبت اصلکن سلامت‎, ايڠت سبلوم کنا, جيمت سبلوم هابيس‎, سسل دهولو ڤنداڤتن, سسل کمودين تق برݢونا‎

Rumi: biar lambat asalkan selamat, ingat sebelum kena, jimat sebelum habis, sesal dahulu pendapatan, sesal kemudian tak berguna
Norwegian: bedre føre var enn etter snar (no)
Polish: gdyby kózka nie skakała, toby nóżki nie złamała (pl), lepiej dmuchać na zimne, strzeżonego Pan Bóg strzeże (pl), żeby kózka nie skakała, toby nóżki nie złamała (pl)
Portuguese: é melhor prevenir do que remediar
Russian: бережёного бог бережёт (berežónovo bog berežót)
Scottish Gaelic: 's fheàrr a bhith cinnteach na caillteach
Serbo-Croatian: bolje sprečiti nego lečiti
Spanish: más vale prevenir que curar, más vale prevenir que lamentarse
Swedish: ta det säkra före det osäkra, man kan aldrig vara nog försiktig
Urdu: دیر آئے درست آئے‎ (der ā'ye durust ā'ye)

better safe than sorry

English

Proverb

Translations

See also