look before one leaps

verb

To think before taking action.

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Meanings

verblook before one leaps (third-person singular simple present looks before one leaps, present participle looking before one leaps, simple past and past participle looked before one leaped or looked before one leapt)

present singular third person looks before one leaps · participle present looking before one leaps · participle past looked before one leaped · past looked before one leaped · participle past looked before one leapt · past looked before one leapt

  1. idiomaticTo think before taking action.

Translations

Bulgarian три пъти мери, веднъж режи, три пъти мери, един път режи
  • три пъти мери, веднъж режи (tri păti meri, vednăž reži)think before taking action
  • три пъти мери, един път режи (tri păti meri, edin păt reži)think before taking action
Chinese Cantonese 三思而行
  • 三思而行 (saam³ si¹ ji⁴ hang⁴)think before taking action
Chinese Mandarin 三思而後行 /三思而后行, 三思而行
  • 三思而後行 /三思而后行 (sānsī ér hòuxíng)think before taking action
  • 三思而行 (sānsī'érxíng)think before taking action
Czech dvakrát měř, jednou řež
  • dvakrát měř, jednou řežthink before taking action
Dutch bezint eer ge begint, bezint eer gij begint
  • bezint eer ge begintthink before taking action
  • bezint eer gij begintthink before taking action
Finnish parempi katsoa kuin katua
  • parempi katsoa kuin katuathink before taking action
French réfléchir avant d'agir
  • réfléchir avant d'agirthink before taking action
German erst wägen, dann wagen
  • erst wägen, dann wagenthink before taking action
Hungarian először gondolkodj, aztán cselekedj
  • először gondolkodj, aztán cselekedjthink before taking action
Italian medita prima di agire
  • medita prima di agirethink before taking action
Japanese 転ばぬ先の杖
  • 転ばぬ先の杖 (korobanu saki no tsue)think before taking action
Korean 누울 자리 봐 가며 발을 뻗어라
  • 누울 자리 봐 가며 발을 뻗어라 (nuul jari bwa gamyeo bareul ppeodeora)think before taking action
Malay dengar cakap enggang, makan buah beluluk; dengar cakap orang, terjun masuk lubuk
  • dengar cakap enggang, makan buah beluluk; dengar cakap orang, terjun masuk lubukthink before taking action
Polish pomyśleć, zanim zadziałać
  • pomyśleć, zanim zadziałaćthink before taking action
Portuguese olhar antes de saltar
  • olhar antes de saltarthink before taking action
Russian семь раз отме́рь, оди́н отре́жь, не зна́я бро́ду, не су́йся в во́ду
  • семь раз отме́рь, оди́н отре́жь (semʹ raz otmérʹ, odín otréžʹ)think before taking action
  • не зна́я бро́ду, не су́йся в во́ду (ne znája bródu, ne sújsja v vódu)think before taking action
  • поспеши́шь - люде́й насмеши́шь (pospešíšʹ - ljudéj nasmešíšʹ)think before taking action
Slovak dvakrát meraj, raz rež
  • dvakrát meraj, raz režthink before taking action
Spanish antes que te cases, mira lo que haces
  • antes que te cases, mira lo que hacesthink before taking action
Swedish titta innan du hoppar
  • titta innan du hopparthink before taking action
Tamil ஆழம் தெரியாமல் காலை விடாதே
  • ஆழம் தெரியாமல் காலை விடாதே (āḻam teriyāmal kālai viṭātē)think before taking action
Cite this entry
APA

look before one leaps. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/look%20before%20one%20leaps

MLA

“look before one leaps.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/look%20before%20one%20leaps. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “look before one leaps,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/look%20before%20one%20leaps.

Source: look before one leaps on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.