★急(いそ)がば回(まわ)れ [Japanese Proverb]

急(いそ)がば 回(まわ)れ
Make haste slowly.
Slow and steady wins the race.

急(いそ)がば is an old way to say 急(いそ)ぐなら
and it means "if you are in a hurry."

回(まわ)れ usually means to spin, but in this case, it means to make a detour.

When you are in a hurry, it is more likely to have an unexpected accident.
It is better to do things slowly and surely.

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★Let's use this proverb in the conversation!

A: ごめんね、遅(おく)れちゃった
Sorry, I'm late.

B: どうしたの？
What happened?

A: 時間(じかん)がなかったから、タクシーに乗(の)ったけど
渋滞(じゅうたい)に巻(ま)き込(こ)まれた。
I didn't have time, so I took a taxi but got caught in a traffic jam.

B: 多分(たぶん)歩(ある)いた方(ほう)が早(はや)かったね。
急(いそ)がば回(まわ)れだよ。
Maybe it was faster if you just walked.
"Slow and steady wins the race."

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