諺語 · a single proverb
貴在堅行
Simplified: 贵在坚行
What does 貴在堅行 (guì zài jiān xíng) mean?
貴在堅行 (guì zài jiān xíng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "the value lies in persistent walking." In use it means: What matters most is sustained effort; starting is common, continuing is rare. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Ox.
Literally: "the value lies in persistent walking."
The reading
Everyone begins. That is the easy part. The gym is full in January and empty by March. The course enrollment is high and the completion rate is low. The difference between the people who arrive and the people who do not is not talent or speed. It is the willingness to keep walking on the day the walking stops being interesting.
What kind of proverb it is
Source General philosophical maxim; echoes throughout Confucian and Daoist texts
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Perseverance & the Long Road, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 貴在堅行 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 貴在堅行 (guì zài jiān xíng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from General philosophical maxim; echoes throughout Confucian and Daoist texts. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 貴在堅行?
In Mandarin it is guì zài jiān xíng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 貴在堅行 aloud in Mandarin.