かん
棺
　
を
おお
蓋
　
い
　
て
こと
事
さだ
定
　
ま
　
る

expression

Idiomatic expression.
  1. a person's worth is assessed only when their coffin is sealed.

Variations

Pronunciation Kanji Kana Is Common
かん
棺
　
を
おお
蓋
　
い
　
て
こと
事
さだ
定
　
ま
　
る
 棺を蓋いて事定まる かんをおおいてことさだまる

Contained Kanji Breakdown

coffin, casket
カン (Early High School, N1)
tree, wood
き　モク　こ- (1st, N5)
bureaucrat, the government, organ
カン (4th, N3)
shaped crown, katakana u radical (no. 40)
ベン　メン (Kentei 1)
dot, tick or dot radical (no. 3)
チュ (Kentei 1)
wa-shaped crown radical (no. 14)
ベキ (Kentei 1)
terraced hill
mouth
くち　コウ　ク (1st, N4)
cover, lid, flap
ふた　ガイ　けだ.し (Late High School)
grass, grass radical (no. 140)
come together, congregate, meet
コウ　おお.う　なんぞ (Kentei 1)
gone, past, quit
さ.る　コ　キョ (3rd, N4)
soil, earth, ground
ド　つち　は (1st, N5)
I, myself, katakana mu radical (no. 28)
シ　ボウ　ム (Kentei 1)
dish, a helping, plate
さら　ベイ (3rd, N2)
matter, thing, fact
ジ　こと　ズ (3rd, N4)
one, one radical (no.1)
イチ　いっ　ひと- (1st, N5)
mouth
くち　コウ　ク (1st, N4)
snout, hand
feathered stick, barb radical (no. 6)
ケツ　かぎ (Kentei 1)
determine, fix, establish
テイ　ジョウ　さだ.める (3rd, N3)
shaped crown, katakana u radical (no. 40)
ベン　メン (Kentei 1)
dot, tick or dot radical (no. 3)
チュ (Kentei 1)
wa-shaped crown radical (no. 14)
ベキ (Kentei 1)
correct, justice, righteous
セイ　ショウ　ただし (1st, N4)
one, one radical (no.1)
イチ　いっ　ひと- (1st, N5)
stop, halt
と.まる　シ　どめ (2nd, N4)
divining, fortune-telling, divination or katakana to radical (no. 25)
ボク　うらな.う　うらない (Kentei Pre-1)