諺語 · a single proverb
萬事開頭難
Simplified: 万事开头难
What does 萬事開頭難 (wàn shì kāi tóu nán) mean?
萬事開頭難 (wàn shì kāi tóu nán) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "everything is difficult at the beginning." In use it means: Starting is the hardest part of any undertaking; once the first step is taken, the rest follows more naturally. 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: "everything is difficult at the beginning."
The reading
The blank page. The empty room. The first day. Everything that will eventually feel automatic once felt impossible. The difficulty is not in the task. It is in the transition from not doing it to doing it. That transition is the real work. Everything after it is momentum.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common folk proverb; widely cited across Chinese culture
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 萬事開頭難 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 萬事開頭難 (wàn shì kāi tóu nán) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Common folk proverb; widely cited across Chinese culture. 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 萬事開頭難?
In Mandarin it is wàn shì kāi tóu nán. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 萬事開頭難 aloud in Mandarin.