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隐患险于明火

隱患險於明火
yǐnhuànxiǎnyúmínghuǒ
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 hidden dangers are more perilous than open flames
  2. 2 (safety maxim) unseen threats are worse than the visible ones
  3. 3 (lit.) hidden trouble is more dangerous than bright fire

Examples

工厂的安全标语写着隐患险于明火，防范胜于救灾。
Gōngchǎng de ānquán biāoyǔ xiězhe yǐnhuàn xiǎn yú mínghuǒ, fángfàn shèng yú jiùzāi.
The factory's safety slogan reads 'hidden dangers are more perilous than open flames; prevention beats rescue.'
排查事故隐患时要记住隐患险于明火。
Páichá shìgù yǐnhuàn shí yào jìzhù yǐnhuàn xiǎn yú mínghuǒ.
When investigating accident risks, remember: 'hidden hazards are worse than open fires.'

Tips

history
From 1994 remarks by former Chinese Premier 朱镕基 (Zhu Rongji) on workplace safety, subsequently adopted as China's standard Safe Production (安全生产) slogan: 隐患险于明火，防范胜于救灾，责任重于泰山 (Hidden dangers are more perilous than open flames; prevention exceeds rescue; responsibility is heavier than Mount Tai). Not an ancient line — but now a ubiquitous, almost classical-sounding state safety maxim on factory walls, mines, and construction sites.
usage
Best quoted as the full three-phrase slogan. 险于 here = 'more dangerous than' (于 is the classical comparative particle). A modern set phrase constructed in classical style.

Stroke Order

隐 yǐn
患 huàn
险 xiǎn
于 yú
明 míng
火 huǒ