Dig the well before you are thirsty.

This saying is commonly presented in English as a “Chinese proverb,” reflecting a traditional agrarian worldview in which water security depended on advance labor—locating, digging, and maintaining wells before drought or peak demand. In that setting, waiting until thirst (or a dry season) could make the work impossible or dangerously late. In modern usage, it is typically invoked in practical contexts—financial planning, health, disaster preparedness, or professional development—where the costs of preparation are lower than the costs of emergency response. The proverb’s force comes from its concrete rural image, easily transferable to many kinds of foresight and risk management.

“Dig the well before you are thirsty” urges proactive preparation: build the means of survival, security, or success before need becomes urgent. A well is a slow, labor-intensive project; once thirst (crisis) arrives, it may be too late to create the infrastructure you require. The line therefore endorses prevention over cure—saving before poverty, learning before ignorance is exposed, strengthening relationships before isolation, and creating contingency plans before disaster. Its moral force lies in reframing prudence as wisdom rather than anxiety: the future is uncertain, so responsible action happens in advance, when choices are widest and costs are lowest.

1) “Dig your well before you’re thirsty.”
2) “When you are thirsty, it is too late to dig a well.”
3) “Dig the well before thirst comes.”