Sources & editorial notes
Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.
Source record: cd-d87f9c1692c831a0. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.
Original source entry:
磨刀不誤砍柴工 磨刀不误砍柴工 [mo2 dao1 bu4 wu4 kan3 chai2 gong1] /lit. sharpening the axe won't make the wood-splitting take longer (idiom)/fig. time invested in preparations is not lost/a beard well lathered is half shaved/Source material and teaching drafts have separate provenance. Long-term commercial licensing remains under review.
Reference information
The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.
Character information
Other forms in these source records: 磨刀不誤砍柴工
View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.