千里之行，始於足下

See also: 千里之行，始于足下

Chinese

		one thousand li; any great distance; fine horse one thousand li; any great distance; fine horse; fine steed; fast horse	's; him/her/it; this	to go; to do; capable to go; to do; capable; all right; competent; OK; to travel; temporary; to walk; will do; behaviour; conduct; a row; profession; professional		to begin with; to start	foot; to be sufficient	under; next; lower under; next; lower; below; underneath; down(wards); to go down; latter
trad. (千里之行，始於足下)		千里	之	行	，	始於	足	下
simp. (千里之行，始于足下)		千里	之	行	，	始于	足	下

Etymology

From Tao Te Ching:

合抱之木，生於毫末；九層之臺，起於累土；千里之行，始於足下。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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合抱之木，生于毫末；九层之台，起于累土；千里之行，始于足下。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Tao Te Ching, 4^th century BCE

Hébào zhī mù, shēng yú háomò; jiǔ céng zhī tái, qǐ yú lěi tǔ; qiānlǐ zhī xíng, shǐ yú zúxià. [Pinyin]

The tree which fills the arms grew from the tiniest sprout; the tower of nine storeys rose from a (small) heap of earth; the journey of a thousand li commenced with a single step.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qiānlǐ zhī xíng, shǐyú zú xià

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄢ ㄌㄧˇ ㄓ ㄒㄧㄥˊ , ㄕˇ ㄩˊ ㄗㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄚˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): cin¹ lei⁵ zi¹ hang⁴, ci² jyu¹ zuk¹ haa⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qiānlǐ zhī xíng, shǐyú zú xià
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄢ ㄌㄧˇ ㄓ ㄒㄧㄥˊ , ㄕˇ ㄩˊ ㄗㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄚˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: cianlǐ jhih síng, shǐhyú zú sià
    • Wade–Giles: chʻien¹-li³ chih¹ hsing², shih³-yü² tsu² hsia⁴
    • Yale: chyān-lǐ jr̄ syíng-, shř-yú dzú syà
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chianlii jy shyng, shyyyu tzwu shiah
    • Palladius: цяньли чжи син, шиюй цзу ся (cjanʹli čži sin, šijuj czu sja)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ɕiŋ³⁵ ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ y³⁵ t͡su³⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: cin¹ lei⁵ zi¹ hang⁴, ci² jyu¹ zuk¹ haa⁶
    • Yale: chīn léih jī hàhng, chí yū jūk hah
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsin¹ lei⁵ dzi¹ hang⁴, tsi² jy¹ dzuk⁷ haa⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: qin¹ léi⁵ ji¹ heng⁴, qi² yu¹ zug¹ ha⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ lei̯¹³ t͡siː⁵⁵ hɐŋ²¹ t͡sʰiː³⁵ jyː⁵⁵ t͡sʊk̚⁵ haː²²/

Proverb

千里之行，始於足下

1. a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

Descendants

• → English: a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step (calque)
• → Japanese: 千里の行も足下に始まる (senri no michi mo sokka ni hajimaru) (calque)
• → Japanese: 千里の道も一歩より始まる (senri no michi mo ippo yori hajimaru) (partial calque)
• → Japanese: 千里の道も一歩から (senri no michi mo ippo kara) (partial calque)
• → Russian: путь в ты́сячу вёрст начина́ется с пе́рвого ша́га (putʹ v týsjaču vjorst načinájetsja s pérvovo šága) (calque)