防范胜于救灾

防範勝於救災

fángfàn shèngyú jiùzāi

proverb

Meanings

1 prevention is better than disaster relief
2 guarding against calamity beats rescuing after it
3 an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Characters

restrict / limit

surpass / better than

than (classical comparative)

Examples

HSK 3

做好日常检查，防范胜于救灾。

Zuòhǎo rìcháng jiǎnchá, fángfàn shèngyú jiùzāi.

Doing regular inspections - prevention is better than dealing with disaster.

HSK 5

消防部门强调防范胜于救灾。

Xiāofáng bùmén qiángdiào fángfàn shèngyú jiùzāi.

Fire departments stress that prevention is better than disaster relief.

Tips

usage

A modern administrative/proverbial set phrase, not drawn from a single classical source but conceptually close to classical formulations like 《周易·既济》思患而预防之 ('anticipate trouble and guard against it') and 《左传》居安思危 ('in safety, think of danger'). Widely used in civil defense, disaster planning, and public health messaging.

register

Formal and official - typical of government notices, school safety training, and corporate risk-management communications. 胜于 = 'is better than / surpasses.'

Stroke Order

防 fáng

范 fàn

胜 shèng

于 yú

救 jiù

灾 zāi