Meaning
“To mend the pen after sheep are lost” means it’s never too late to take corrective action after suffering a loss or mistake. It encourages learning from experience and fixing problems before they worsen.
Word breakdown
- 亡 (wáng) – to lose
- 羊 (yáng) – sheep
- 补 (bǔ) – to mend, repair
- 牢 (láo) – pen, enclosure
The idiom describes repairing a sheep pen after some sheep have escaped, emphasizing timely correction.
Historical Origin
The story is from the ancient text Strategies of the Warring States (《战国策》).
A man’s sheep escaped through a broken fence. His neighbor advised him to fix the fence immediately to prevent further losses. The man initially felt it was useless after losing sheep, but later followed the advice and mended the pen. As a result, no more sheep escaped.
The story teaches that taking action after a mistake is better than doing nothing.
Modern Usage
This idiom is used to encourage:
- Taking corrective measures after failure or loss
- Learning from mistakes and improving
- Preventing further problems through timely action
Example situations
- Fixing security after a data breach
- Improving study habits after failing an exam
- Repairing broken relationships before they worsen
Example sentences
- 虽然这次考试没及格，但亡羊补牢，下一次一定能考好。
(Although you failed this exam, it’s not too late to improve and do well next time.) - 公司发现漏洞后马上修补，真是亡羊补牢。
(The company fixed the security flaw immediately after discovering it—that’s mending the pen after sheep are lost.)
Short Story
小李家的羊跑出围栏了。邻居劝他说：“赶快修围栏，别让更多羊跑了。”
小李说：“羊都跑了，还修什么围栏？”
后来羊越跑越多，小李只好听从建议修好了围栏。
从此，再也没有羊跑走。
这就是亡羊补牢的道理。
English Translation
Some of Xiao Li’s sheep escaped from the pen. His neighbor advised, “Fix the fence quickly to stop more sheep from escaping.”
Xiao Li said, “The sheep are already gone, why fix the fence?”
Later, more sheep escaped, and Xiao Li had no choice but to fix the fence.
From then on, no more sheep ran away.
This is the meaning of “mending the pen after sheep are lost.”
Traditional Chinese Characters
亡羊補牢
Conclusion
亡羊补牢 teaches that it’s better to take action late than never. Correcting mistakes promptly can prevent bigger problems. The idiom encourages learning from failure and emphasizes the value of timely repair.