諺語 · a single proverb
有志者事竟成
What does 有志者事竟成 (yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng) mean?
有志者事竟成 (yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "those who have will, matters ultimately succeed." In use it means: Where there is a will, there is a way; those with determination ultimately succeed. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Tiger.
Literally: "those who have will, matters ultimately succeed."
The reading
The will is not a feeling but a decision that outlasts the feeling. When the feeling has gone cold and the body wants to quit, the will is what is still standing at the gate. Determination does not guarantee a smooth road but it guarantees arrival, eventually, if you do not turn back.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Hou Han Shu 後漢書·耿弇傳 (Gěng Yǎn biography)
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 Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 有志者事竟成 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 有志者事竟成 (yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Hou Han Shu 後漢書·耿弇傳 (Gěng Yǎn biography). 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 有志者事竟成?
In Mandarin it is yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 有志者事竟成 aloud in Mandarin.