# Looking for a proverb in French that resembles "Sois lent au choix, mais encore plus lent au changement." or carries the same meaning **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 27, 2022, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-proverb-in-french-that-resembles-sois-lent-au-choix-mais-encore-plus-lent-au-changement-or-carries-the-same-meaning/960175 "2022-02-27T01:04:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2022, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-proverb-in-french-that-resembles-sois-lent-au-choix-mais-encore-plus-lent-au-changement-or-carries-the-same-meaning/960175/1 "2022-02-27T01:04:15Z")
Looking for a proverb in French that resembles the wording: \*“Sois lent au choix, mais encore plus lent au changement.”(Be slow in choosing, but slower in changing.) or carries the same meaning \*The translatuion is mine. The proverb means : Choose things or people after proper diligence, but once you choose, stick with them long-term. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2022, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-proverb-in-french-that-resembles-sois-lent-au-choix-mais-encore-plus-lent-au-changement-or-carries-the-same-meaning/960175/2 "2022-02-27T01:37:26Z")
Measure twice, cut once But in French. ---
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2022, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-proverb-in-french-that-resembles-sois-lent-au-choix-mais-encore-plus-lent-au-changement-or-carries-the-same-meaning/960175/3 "2022-02-27T03:01:35Z")
Perfect! Thank you lissener. ---
**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2022, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-proverb-in-french-that-resembles-sois-lent-au-choix-mais-encore-plus-lent-au-changement-or-carries-the-same-meaning/960175/4 "2022-02-27T14:34:19Z")
You mean a real French proverb? or something for a book that can pass as a French proverb? We have “soit prompt à écouter et lent à parler” Ear swiftly, talk slowly I think it’s from the Bible. Otherwise there is " qui va vite va loin, qui va lent va bien" but the meaning is not the same. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2022, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-proverb-in-french-that-resembles-sois-lent-au-choix-mais-encore-plus-lent-au-changement-or-carries-the-same-meaning/960175/5 "2022-02-27T14:42:35Z")
The French seem to have numerous half-assed proverbs like that, including “tant pis tant mieux”. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2022, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-proverb-in-french-that-resembles-sois-lent-au-choix-mais-encore-plus-lent-au-changement-or-carries-the-same-meaning/960175/6 "2022-02-27T16:50:16Z")
Those French have got a different word for nearly _everything_! ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2022, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-proverb-in-french-that-resembles-sois-lent-au-choix-mais-encore-plus-lent-au-changement-or-carries-the-same-meaning/960175/7 "2022-02-27T20:25:27Z")
Modhat: I fixed the typos of proberb to proverb. ---
**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2022, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-proverb-in-french-that-resembles-sois-lent-au-choix-mais-encore-plus-lent-au-changement-or-carries-the-same-meaning/960175/8 "2022-02-27T21:14:32Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Those French have got a different word for nearly _everything_ ! Hé, we can have _several_ words for everything ! And sometimes a same word can have several meanings too… ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2022, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-proverb-in-french-that-resembles-sois-lent-au-choix-mais-encore-plus-lent-au-changement-or-carries-the-same-meaning/960175/9 "2022-02-27T23:06:40Z")
> [@FrenchDunadan](#): > > Hé, we can have _several_ words for everything ! And sometimes a same word can have several meanings too… Well, zut alors! ---
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2022, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-proverb-in-french-that-resembles-sois-lent-au-choix-mais-encore-plus-lent-au-changement-or-carries-the-same-meaning/960175/10 "2022-03-01T02:03:52Z")
Thanks Dunadan. Yes I am looking for proper native proverbs as the native French would use them. I was looking for " qui va vite va loin, qui va lent va bien" but could not find any trace of it online. Is is a more colloquial version of a more formal phrasing? What is the more formal version? ---
**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2022, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-proverb-in-french-that-resembles-sois-lent-au-choix-mais-encore-plus-lent-au-changement-or-carries-the-same-meaning/960175/11 "2022-03-01T06:39:48Z")
It is used in my region, but maybe it’s not widely used elsewhere. There is a lot of old proverb that are locals and can be variations of others. Have you tried searching “proverbes français” online? you will find several sites in french if you’re fluent enough. ---
**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2022, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-proverb-in-french-that-resembles-sois-lent-au-choix-mais-encore-plus-lent-au-changement-or-carries-the-same-meaning/960175/12 "2022-03-01T14:30:23Z")
Yes I have. I have not come across your version. ---
**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2022, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-proverb-in-french-that-resembles-sois-lent-au-choix-mais-encore-plus-lent-au-changement-or-carries-the-same-meaning/960175/13 "2022-03-02T15:44:26Z")
There is a lot of local expressions… that can be confusing for strangers.