dāo
kǎn
chái
gōng

proverb
idiom
common

Meaning of 磨刀不误砍柴工

磨刀不误砍柴工 means sharpening the axe won't delay the woodcutting; time spent preparing is time well spent. Pronounced mó dāo bù wù kǎn chái gōng.

  • sharpening the axe won't delay the woodcutting; time spent preparing is time well spent

Definitions & Examples

Bié
zháo
kāi
gōng
 
xiān
zhǐ
kàn
qīng
chu
 
dāo
kǎn
chái
gōng
 

Don't rush to start work; first look at the blueprints carefully—sharpening the axe won't delay the woodcutting.

Kǎo
shì
qián
suī
rán
huā
shí
jiān
 
dàn
dāo
kǎn
chái
gōng
 
néng
bāng
kǎo
de
gèng
hǎo
 

Although reviewing before the exam takes time, sharpening the axe won't delay the woodcutting—it can help you score better.

Lǎo
bǎn
 
gěi
sān
tiān
shí
jiān
zhǔn
bèi
cái
liào
 
dāo
kǎn
chái
gōng
 
bǎo
zhèng
qián
wán
chéng
rèn
wu
 

Boss, give me three days to prepare the materials—sharpening the axe won't delay the woodcutting, I guarantee I'll finish the task ahead of schedule.