諺語 · a single proverb
路雖遠行則將至
Simplified: 路虽远行则将至
What does 路雖遠行則將至 (lù suī yuǎn xíng zé jiāng zhì) mean?
路雖遠行則將至 (lù suī yuǎn xíng zé jiāng zhì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "the road may be long, but walking will get you there." In use it means: No matter how daunting the distance, taking steps is the only way to arrive; beginning is the answer to overwhelm. 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 Horse.
Literally: "the road may be long, but walking will get you there."
The reading
The destination is far. Your legs are short. These are both facts. But the road does not ask you to arrive today. It asks you to walk today. Tomorrow it will ask you to walk again. And the day after that. At some point the walking will have consumed the distance without you noticing, because you were too busy walking to measure what was left.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Xunzi 荀子, Xiu Shen 修身
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 Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 路雖遠行則將至 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 路雖遠行則將至 (lù suī yuǎn xíng zé jiāng zhì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Xunzi 荀子, Xiu Shen 修身. 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 路雖遠行則將至?
In Mandarin it is lù suī yuǎn xíng zé jiāng zhì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 路雖遠行則將至 aloud in Mandarin.