急がば回れ

Japanese

Kanji in this term
急	回
いそ Grade: 3	まわ Grade: 2
kun’yomi

Etymology

Phrase consisting of 急が (isoga, 未然形 (imperfective form) of 急ぐ (isogu, “husten, rush”)) + ば (ba, “if, when”) + 回れ (maware, 命令形 (imperative form) of 回る (mawaru, “go round”)).

Proverb

急(いそ)がば回(まわ)れ • (isogaba maware) 

1. more haste, less speed; slow and steady wins the race

Synonyms

• 慌(あわ)てる乞食(こじき)は貰(もら)いが少(すく)ない (awateru kojiki wa morai ga sukunai)
• 急(せ)いては事(こと)を仕損(しそん)じる (seite wa koto o shisonjiru)