諺語 · a single proverb
九層之臺，起於累土
Simplified: 九层之台，起于累土
What does 九層之臺，起於累土 (jiǔ céng zhī tái qǐ yú lěi tǔ) mean?
九層之臺，起於累土 (jiǔ céng zhī tái qǐ yú lěi tǔ) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "a nine-story tower begins with a pile of earth." In use it means: Every large achievement starts with small, unglamorous work. Do not skip the pile of dirt. 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: "a nine-story tower begins with a pile of earth."
The reading
Nine stories. That is a tower tall enough to see the horizon from. And it started as a man carrying baskets of earth. The glamour was never in the baskets. It was in the finished view. But the view does not exist without the baskets. Every grand thing you have ever admired was once a boring Tuesday afternoon of hauling material.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Tao Te Ching 道德經, ch. 64 (Laozi)
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 九層之臺，起於累土 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 九層之臺，起於累土 (jiǔ céng zhī tái qǐ yú lěi tǔ) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Tao Te Ching 道德經, ch. 64 (Laozi). 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 九層之臺，起於累土?
In Mandarin it is jiǔ céng zhī tái qǐ yú lěi tǔ. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 九層之臺，起於累土 aloud in Mandarin.