Pinyin:
qiān lǐ zhī xíng, shǐ yú zú xià
Meaning:
比喻事情的成功都是由小到大逐渐积累成的。
A thousand mile journey must begin with a single step; Success is built from the accumulation of many trials and errors.
Character breakdown and explanation:
千：thousand
里：a Chinese unit of length (about half a kilometer)
之：used to connect the modifier and the word modified
行：journey
始：start
于：from
足：foot
下：below
This phrase came out of Laozi and literally means a thousand mile journey must begin with a single step. Metaphorically, this phrase means success is built from the accumulation of many trials and errors. People cite this phrase to indicate that all endeavors must begin small.
Example sentences:
“千里之行，始于足下”。要建百米高楼，不打好地基是万万不行的。
“ Qiān lǐ zhī xíng, shǐ yú zú xià“ . Yào jiàn bǎi mǐ gāo lóu, bù dǎ hǎo dìjī shì wànwàn bù xíng de.
A thousand mile journey must begin with a single step. To build a skyscraper, you must have a good foundation.
刚毕业就想马上功成名就？“千里之行，始于足下”，你还是先干好眼前的事吧！
Gāng bìyè jiù xiǎng mǎshàng gōng chéng míng jiù? “Qiān lǐ zhī xíng, shǐ yú zú xià” , nǐ háishì xiān gàn hǎo yǎnqián de shì bā！
You want to achieve success and win recognition right after graduation? A thousand mile journey must begin with a single step; you should focus on what’s in front of you!
