諺語 · a single proverb
一步一個腳印
What does 一步一個腳印 (yī bù yī gè jiǎo yìn) mean?
一步一個腳印 (yī bù yī gè jiǎo yìn) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語). Word for word it reads "one step, one footprint." In use it means: Every step leaves a mark; make progress steadily and concretely, one step at a time. 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: "one step, one footprint."
The reading
The path made of real steps is legible in the earth as a trail of evidence that someone truly passed this way. To move without leaving a mark is to have passed without passing. Each step taken with full weight and full intention becomes part of the ground itself, and the accumulation is called a life.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk proverb (suyu)
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 一步一個腳印 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一步一個腳印 (yī bù yī gè jiǎo yìn) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk proverb (suyu). 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 一步一個腳印?
In Mandarin it is yī bù yī gè jiǎo yìn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一步一個腳印 aloud in Mandarin.