259Japanese proverb ことわざ
泥棒を捕らえて縄を綯う
どろぼうをとらえてなわをなうDorobō o toraete nawa o nau
“Braiding the rope after catching the thief.”
The meaning
Preparing when it is already too late: the rope is braided before the capture. Foresight cannot be caught up in an emergency.
At the origin
A traditional proverb on late preparations — origin of the common word "doronawa".
The characters
- 泥棒 dorobōthief
- を o(object)
- 捕らえて toraetehaving caught
- 縄
- を
- 綯う
をParticleMarks the object: what the action falls upon.
In practice
The precaution you keep postponing: take it before you need it.