もう
孟
ぼ
母
だん
断
き
機
　
の
おし
教
　
え

expression

Proverb. From a tale about Mencius' mother admonishing him from leaving school early by cutting apart a cloth she was in the middle of weaving.
  1. (the lesson that) one should not leave things unfinished.

Variations

Pronunciation Kanji Kana Is Common
もう
孟
ぼ
母
だん
断
き
機
　
の
おし
教
　
え
 孟母断機の教え もうぼだんきのおしえ

Contained Kanji Breakdown

chief, beginning
モウ　ボウ　ミョウ (Kentei Pre-1, N1)
child, sign of the rat, 11PM-1AM
こ　シ　ス (1st, N5)
complete, finish
リョウ　さとる (Late Jr. High, N2)
one, one radical (no.1)
イチ　いっ　ひと- (1st, N5)
dish, a helping, plate
さら　ベイ (3rd, N2)
mother
はは　ボ　も (2nd, N5)
severance, decline, refuse
ダン　ことわ.る　た.つ (5th, N3)
fishhook radical, (乙 variant)
rice, USA, metre
ベイ　こめ　マイ (2nd, N3)
to divide
tree, wood
き　モク　こ- (1st, N5)
axe, 1.32 lb, catty
キン (Late Jr. High, N1)
loom, mechanism, machine
キ　はた (4th, N3)
tree, wood
き　モク　こ- (1st, N5)
how many, how much, how far
いく-　キ　い (Early Jr. High, N3)
minute, extremely small, tiny
short thread radical (no. 52)
ヨウ　ちいさい (Kentei 1)
protection
ジュ　まもり　まも.る (Kentei 1)
5th calendar sign
つちのえ　ボ　ボウ (Kentei Pre-1)
katakana no radical (no. 4)
ヘツ　えい　よう (Kentei 1)
halberd, arms, festival car
ほこ　カ　ほこづくり (Kentei 1)
piling, ceremony radical (no. 56)
ヨク　いぐるみ (Kentei 1)
dot, tick or dot radical (no. 3)
チュ (Kentei 1)
teach, faith, doctrine
おし.える　キョウ　おそ.わる (2nd, N4)
filial piety, child's respect
コウ　たか　キョウ (6th)
variant of radical 125
soil, earth, ground
ド　つち　は (1st, N5)
katakana no radical (no. 4)
ヘツ　えい　よう (Kentei 1)
child, sign of the rat, 11PM-1AM
こ　シ　ス (1st, N5)
complete, finish
リョウ　さとる (Late Jr. High, N2)
one, one radical (no.1)
イチ　いっ　ひと- (1st, N5)
strike, hit, folding chair radical variant (no. 66)
ホク (Kentei 1)
person, (人 variant)
mow, cut grass, subdue
ガイ　ゲ　おさ.める (Kentei 1)