1.
haste makes waste; rushing leads to mistakes
A proverb warning that acting too hastily causes errors and poor results. Patience and careful action produce better outcomes.
急いては事を仕損じるよ。落ち着いて。
Haste makes waste. Calm down.
急いては事を仕損じるというから、もう少し時間をかけよう。
They say haste makes waste, so let's take a little more time.
焦って準備したら忘れ物をした。急いては事を仕損じるとはこのことだ。
I rushed to get ready and forgot something. This is exactly what they mean by haste makes waste.
A common Japanese proverb equivalent to the English "haste makes waste" or "more haste, less speed." The verb 仕損じる means "to fail" or "to bungle," so the literal meaning is "if you rush, you will bungle the task."
GRAMMAR:
The 急いて is the te-form of 急く (to hurry), and は adds contrastive emphasis: "if you hurry (in contrast to being patient), you will fail." The proverb is typically quoted in its full form.
SIMILAR PROVERBS:
- 急がば回れ: if in a hurry, take the roundabout way — similar meaning emphasizing careful action
- 慌てる乞食はもらいが少ない: the beggar who panics gets less — similar admonition against rushing
USAGE:
Often used as gentle advice or self-reflection when someone has made a mistake due to rushing. Commonly followed by という, とはこのことだ, or だよ.