打蛇不死，后患无穷
dǎ​shé​bù​sǐ​hòu​huàn​wú​qióng

spare the snake and face the consequences

  1. 打 dǎ verb
    to hit
    to strike; to knock; to beat; to break
  2. 蛇 shé noun
    snake
    snake; serpent
  3. 不 bù 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. 死 sǐ verb
    to die
    to die; to pass away; to perish
  5. ， hòu
    non-Chinese
  6. 后患 後患 hòu​huàn
    future trouble
    trouble or danger that may arise in the future; the seeds of future misfortune
  7. 无穷 無窮 wú​qióng adjective
    infinite
    infinite; endless; boundless; having no limit; inexhaustible