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Cautious in Chinese / Japanese...
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Prudence / Considerate
慎重 conveys the idea of being considerate, having prudence, and being thoughtful when taking action.
慎重 can also mean cautious, careful, discreet, deliberate, or taking all things into consideration.
The general meaning is shared across languages. However, in Chinese, this is more about prudence, while in Japanese, this is more about being considerate.
Chinese Catholics use this word to represent “prudence” in the list of the Seven Heavenly Virtues.
Note: Depending on your choice of Chinese or Japanese calligraphers, the first Kanji will vary slightly.
It is technically the same character. Japanese tend to leave a space between the upper and lower portions of this particular Kanji. See sample images to the right.
See Also: Moderation | Modesty | Chastity
Bad Experience, Caution Lingers
A bird wounded by an arrow
傷弓之鳥 means “bird wounded by an arrow.”
Figuratively, this refers to a wounded or damaged person. It's very similar to the western proverb, “a person once bitten is twice shy.” To explain further, this is about someone who has become overly cautious due to a bad experience.
This phrase is used in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
Samurai
In Japanese, 侍 represents the warriors that attempted to hold peace when there was no Emperor in Japan.
Be cautious though, as it is an old way to express “servant” or “waiter” in Chinese and Korean. Of course, if you are a samurai, you are a servant to your Shogun-ate, Lord, or the people (which is the root meaning).
See Also: Warrior
Learn From Your Predecessors
When the cart in front overturns, be cautious with your own
前車之覆后車之鑒 is a Chinese proverb that suggests looking at the circumstances and toils of those you proceeded before you and learning from their experience.
This more literally means “the cart in front overturns, a warning to the following cart.”
This is figuratively translated as “draw a lesson from the failure of one's predecessor,” “learn from past mistakes,” or compared to the English idiom, “once bitten twice shy.”
Other more-direct translations:
Make the overturning of the chariot in front a warning for the chariot behind.
Learn caution through an unpleasant experience.
The wrecked coach in front should be a warning.
The overturned cart in front serves as a warning to the carts behind.
These search terms might be related to Cautious:
Alert / on Guard / Lingering Mind
Not the results for cautious that you were looking for?
Below are some entries from our dictionary that may match your cautious search...
| Characters If shown, 2nd row is Simp. Chinese |
Pronunciation Romanization |
Simple Dictionary Definition |
慎重 see styles |
shèn zhòng shen4 zhong4 shen chung shinchou / shincho しんちょう |
More info & calligraphy: Prudence / Considerate(noun or adjectival noun) (ant: 軽率) careful; cautious; prudent; discreet; deliberate |
傷弓之鳥 伤弓之鸟 see styles |
shāng gōng zhī niǎo shang1 gong1 zhi1 niao3 shang kung chih niao shoukyuunotori / shokyunotori しょうきゅうのとり |
More info & calligraphy: Bad Experience, Caution Lingers(exp,n) (idiom) (yoji) (person who is) once bitten twice shy; someone who has become overly cautious due to a bad experience |
僖 see styles |
xī xi1 hsi |
cautious; merry; joyful |
姞 see styles |
jí ji2 chi kitsu |
surname Ji Chi, name of the concubine of Huang Ti; translit. g . |
孨 see styles |
zhuǎn zhuan3 chuan |
(Internet slang) the three 子's that symbolize success in life: a house, a car and a wife (房子[fang2 zi5], 車子|车子[che1 zi5] and 妻子[qi1 zi5]); (archaic) cautious; cowardly |
愼 see styles |
shèn shen4 shen makoto まこと |
variant of 慎[shen4] (personal name) Makoto Careful, cautious, attentive, heedful. |
慎 see styles |
shèn shen4 shen makoto まこと |
careful; cautious (female given name) Makoto |
謹 谨 see styles |
jǐn jin3 chin hitoshi ひとし |
cautious; careful; solemnly; sincerely (formal) (male given name) Hitoshi to be prudent |
㥯 see styles |
yǐn yin3 yin |
cautious |
仔細 仔细 see styles |
zǐ xì zi3 xi4 tzu hsi shisai しさい |
careful; attentive; cautious; to be careful; to look out (noun or adjectival noun) (1) reasons; circumstances; significance; particulars; (2) hindrance; obstruction; interference carefully |
審慎 审慎 see styles |
shěn shèn shen3 shen4 shen shen |
prudent; cautious |
慎密 see styles |
shèn mì shen4 mi4 shen mi |
cautious; with meticulous care |
戒慎 see styles |
jiè shèn jie4 shen4 chieh shen kaishin かいしん |
vigilant; cautious (noun/participle) caution; discretion to be cautious |
拘檢 拘检 see styles |
jū jiǎn ju1 jian3 chü chien |
restrained and cautious |
持重 see styles |
chí zhòng chi2 zhong4 ch`ih chung chih chung |
prudent; cautious; to be in charge of ritual ceremonies; to hold an important office |
提神 see styles |
tí shén ti2 shen2 t`i shen ti shen |
to freshen up; to be cautious or vigilant; to watch out; stimulant to enhance mental performance; stay-awake drug; agrypnotic |
檢點 检点 see styles |
jiǎn diǎn jian3 dian3 chien tien kenten |
to examine; to check; to keep a lookout; cautious; restrained (in speech or mannerisms) checkpoint |
翼翼 see styles |
yì yì yi4 yi4 i i yokuyoku よくよく |
cautious; prudent (noun or adjectival noun) prudent; very careful |
謹慎 谨慎 see styles |
jǐn shèn jin3 shen4 chin shen kinshin きんしん |
cautious; prudent (n,vs,vi) (1) self restraint; moderating one's own behavior; penitence; discipline; (n,vs,vi) (2) confinement (esp. to one's home); house arrest; (n,vs,vi) (3) (See 謹慎処分) suspension (from work or school) |
長眼 长眼 see styles |
zhǎng yǎn zhang3 yan3 chang yen |
to have eyes; (fig.) to look where one is going; to watch one's step; to be cautious |
不含糊 see styles |
bù hán hu bu4 han2 hu5 pu han hu |
unambiguous; unequivocal; explicit; prudent; cautious; not negligent; unafraid; unhesitating; really good; extraordinary |
慎重論 see styles |
shinchouron / shinchoron しんちょうろん |
cautious theory; conservative theory |
戒める see styles |
imashimeru いましめる |
(transitive verb) (1) to warn against; to caution against; (2) to admonish; to scold; to rebuke; (3) to prohibit; to forbid; to ban; (4) (archaism) to be cautious; (5) (archaism) to detest; to loathe; (6) (archaism) to punish |
誡める see styles |
imashimeru いましめる |
(transitive verb) (1) to warn against; to caution against; (2) to admonish; to scold; to rebuke; (3) to prohibit; to forbid; to ban; (4) (archaism) to be cautious; (5) (archaism) to detest; to loathe; (6) (archaism) to punish |
警める see styles |
imashimeru いましめる |
(transitive verb) (1) to warn against; to caution against; (2) to admonish; to scold; to rebuke; (3) to prohibit; to forbid; to ban; (4) (archaism) to be cautious; (5) (archaism) to detest; to loathe; (6) (archaism) to punish |
傷弓の鳥 see styles |
shoukyuunotori / shokyunotori しょうきゅうのとり |
(exp,n) (rare) (idiom) (person who is) once bitten twice shy; someone who has become overly cautious due to a bad experience |
千慮一失 千虑一失 see styles |
qiān lǜ yī shī qian1 lu:4 yi1 shi1 ch`ien lü i shih chien lü i shih senryoisshitsu; senryonoisshitsu せんりょいっしつ; せんりょのいっしつ |
reflect a thousand times and you can still make a mistake (idiom); to err is human (yoji) mere slip by someone who is usually very careful; simple mistake by a wise person; point overlooked by a cautious person |
如在無い see styles |
josainai じょさいない |
(adjective) tactful; shrewd; cautious; clever; smart; adroit |
如履薄冰 see styles |
rú lǚ bó bīng ru2 lu:3 bo2 bing1 ju lü po ping |
lit. as if walking on thin ice (idiom); fig. to be extremely cautious; to be skating on thin ice |
如才ない see styles |
josainai じょさいない |
(adjective) tactful; shrewd; cautious; clever; smart; adroit |
Click here for more cautious results from our dictionary
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
| Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
| Prudence Considerate | 慎重 | shin chou / shinchou / shin cho | shèn zhòng shen4 zhong4 shen zhong shenzhong | shen chung shenchung |
| Bad Experience, Caution Lingers | 傷弓之鳥 伤弓之鸟 | shou kyuu no tori shoukyuunotori sho kyu no tori | shāng gōng zhī niǎo shang1 gong1 zhi1 niao3 shang gong zhi niao shanggongzhiniao | shang kung chih niao shangkungchihniao |
| Samurai | 侍 | samurai | shì / shi4 / shi | shih |
| Learn From Your Predecessors | 前車之覆后車之鑒 前车之覆后车之鉴 | qián chē zhī fù hòu chē zhī jiàn qian2 che1 zhi1 fu4 hou4 che1 zhi1 jian4 qian che zhi fu hou che zhi jian | ch`ien ch`e chih fu hou ch`e chih chien chien che chih fu hou che chih chien |
|
| In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line. In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese. | ||||
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