xiǎo​dòng​bù​bǔ​dà​dòng​chī​kǔ

a stitch in time saves nine

  1. xiǎo adjective
    small
    small; tiny; few; minor; in area, volume, quantity, or power, being less than average or less than the object of comparison; opposite of
  2. hole
    hole; cavity; cave
  3. adverb
    not
    Negative adverb used before verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs to indicate negation; also used as a bound-form prefix to form terms with opposite meanings
  4. to mend
    to repair or patch something broken or damaged, such as clothes or a road
  5. adjective
    big
    big; large; great; vast; high in scale or intensity; (of a person) old; adult
  6. hole
    hole; cavity; cave
  7. 吃苦 chī​kǔ verb + noun
    to suffer
    To undergo hardships or experience pain.