wàn shì kāi tóu nán: 万事开头难 - All Things Are Difficult at the Beginning

• Keywords: wàn shì kāi tóu nán, 万事开头难, Chinese proverb about beginnings, the first step is the hardest Chinese, everything is difficult at the start, Chinese encouragement, learning Chinese proverb, perseverance in Chinese culture.
• Summary: “万事开头难” (wàn shì kāi tóu nán) is a fundamental Chinese proverb that translates to “All things are difficult at the beginning.” It's a powerful and common piece of wisdom used to encourage perseverance when starting any new endeavor, from learning a language to launching a business. This saying acknowledges the initial struggle as a universal truth, offering comfort and motivation to push through the challenging first steps toward eventual success.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): wàn shì kāi tóu nán
• Part of Speech: Proverb / Idiom (俗语, súyǔ)
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: The beginning of anything is always the most difficult part.
• In a Nutshell: This proverb is the Chinese equivalent of saying “The first step is always the hardest.” It's not meant to be discouraging, but rather a realistic and empathetic acknowledgement of initial challenges. It's used to reassure someone (or oneself) that the frustration and difficulty they're feeling at the start of a project, a new skill, or a new job is completely normal and expected. The underlying message is one of hope: keep going, because it will get easier.

• 万 (wàn): Ten thousand; a myriad; all. Here it's used figuratively to mean “all things” or “everything.”
• 事 (shì): Matter; affair; thing; business.
• 开 (kāi): To open; to start; to begin.
• 头 (tóu): Head; lead; the first. In this context, 开头 (kāitóu) is a single word meaning “the beginning” or “the start.”
• 难 (nán): Difficult; hard; challenging.

Together, the characters literally form the phrase “ten thousand matters' beginning is difficult,” a poetic and powerful way to express that every single endeavor has a challenging start.

• The Virtue of Perseverance: This proverb is deeply rooted in Chinese cultural values that emphasize diligence (勤奋, qínfèn), endurance (耐力, nàilì), and perseverance (坚持, jiānchí). It reflects a mindset that sees challenges not as stop signs, but as the first, necessary hurdles on the path to achievement. It normalizes struggle as part of the process, rather than a sign of personal failure.
• Comparison to Western Concepts: A similar Western proverb is “Well begun is half done.” However, there's a key difference in focus. “Well begun is half done” emphasizes the strategic importance of a good start for ensuring future success. In contrast, “万事开头难” focuses on the emotional and psychological reality of the initial difficulty. It's less about strategy and more about empathy and encouragement. It's what you say to a friend who is struggling during that difficult beginning, validating their feelings while urging them not to give up.

• Encouragement and Motivation: This is the most common usage. Parents say it to children struggling with a new musical instrument. A boss might say it to a team launching a complex project. Friends say it to each other when starting a new fitness plan or business.
• Self-Talk: Many people use it as a personal mantra to steel themselves against the frustration of a new task. When you're trying to learn Chinese and feel overwhelmed by characters and tones, reminding yourself “万事开头难” can provide the motivation to continue.
• Formality: The phrase is universally understood and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. It's appropriate in a business presentation, an academic paper, or a casual chat over tea. Its tone is always supportive and wise.

• Example 1:
  • 别灰心，万事开头难，多练习几次就好了。
  • Pinyin: Bié huīxīn, wàn shì kāi tóu nán, duō liànxí jǐ cì jiù hǎo le.
  • English: Don't be discouraged. All things are difficult at the beginning; it will be fine after a few more practice sessions.
  • Analysis: A classic example of encouragement, used here to console someone who is learning a new skill.
• Example 2:
  • 我知道创业很辛苦，但你要记住，万事开头难。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zhīdào chuàngyè hěn xīnkǔ, dàn nǐ yào jìzhù, wàn shì kāi tóu nán.
  • English: I know starting a business is very tough, but you have to remember that the first step is always the hardest.
  • Analysis: This validates the difficulty of a major life event (starting a business) while providing a framework of long-term perspective.
• Example 3:
  • 学习一门新语言确实不容易，正如俗话说的，“万事开头难”。
  • Pinyin: Xuéxí yī mén xīn yǔyán quèshí bù róngyì, zhèngrú súhuà shuō de, “wàn shì kāi tóu nán”.
  • English: Learning a new language is indeed not easy, just as the old saying goes, “All things are difficult at the beginning.”
  • Analysis: This example shows how the phrase is often introduced with “as the saying goes” (俗话说的, súhuà shuō de), framing it as a piece of shared cultural wisdom.
• Example 4:
  • A: 我觉得我的新工作太难了，我可能不适合。 B: 别急着下结论，万事开头难嘛！
  • Pinyin: A: Wǒ juéde wǒ de xīn gōngzuò tài nán le, wǒ kěnéng bù shìhé. B: Bié jízhe xià jiélùn, wàn shì kāi tóu nán ma!
  • English: A: I think my new job is too hard, maybe I'm not cut out for it. B: Don't jump to conclusions, getting started is always the hardest part!
  • Analysis: Here, it's used in a conversational back-and-forth. The “嘛 (ma)” at the end adds a soft, reassuring tone, as if stating an obvious, comforting fact.
• Example 5:
  • 刚开始健身的时候，我每天都想放弃，但万事开头难，坚持下来就好了。
  • Pinyin: Gāng kāishǐ jiànshēn de shíhòu, wǒ měitiān dōu xiǎng fàngqì, dàn wàn shì kāi tóu nán, jiānchí xiàlái jiù hǎo le.
  • English: When I first started working out, I wanted to give up every day, but everything is hard at the beginning, and it gets better once you persist.
  • Analysis: An example of using the proverb for self-reflection or telling a story about overcoming initial hardship.
• Example 6:
  • 这个项目刚启动，问题很多，但我们相信万事开头难，后面会越来越顺利。
  • Pinyin: Zhège xiàngmù gāng qǐdòng, wèntí hěnduō, dàn wǒmen xiāngxìn wàn shì kāi tóu nán, hòumiàn huì yuèláiyuè shùnlì.
  • English: This project just started and has a lot of problems, but we believe that beginnings are always difficult and things will get smoother later on.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates its use in a professional or team setting to boost morale and manage expectations.
• Example 7:
  • 孩子，写汉字的第一笔是最重要的，也是最难的。记住，万事开头难。
  • Pinyin: Háizi, xiě Hànzì de dì yī bǐ shì zuì zhòngyào de, yěshì zuì nán de. Jìzhù, wàn shì kāi tóu nán.
  • English: Child, the first stroke of writing a character is the most important, and also the hardest. Remember, all things are difficult at the start.
  • Analysis: A good example of a parent or teacher using the proverb to teach a child a lesson about both a specific task (writing) and a general life principle.
• Example 8:
  • 虽然我们都知道万事开头难，但真正面对困难时还是会感到沮丧。
  • Pinyin: Suīrán wǒmen dōu zhīdào wàn shì kāi tóu nán, dàn zhēnzhèng miànduì kùnnan shí háishì huì gǎndào jǔsàng.
  • English: Although we all know that getting started is the hardest part, when you truly face difficulties, you still feel frustrated.
  • Analysis: This sentence shows a more nuanced, reflective use of the proverb, acknowledging that knowing the principle doesn't always make the feeling of difficulty disappear.
• Example 9:
  • 任何伟大的事业都是从第一步开始的，而万事开头难，所以第一步也最需要勇气。
  • Pinyin: Rènhé wěidà de shìyè dōu shì cóng dì yī bù kāishǐ de, ér wàn shì kāi tóu nán, suǒyǐ dì yī bù yě zuì xūyào yǒngqì.
  • English: Any great undertaking begins with the first step, and since all beginnings are hard, that first step also requires the most courage.
  • Analysis: This connects the proverb to the concept of courage (勇气, yǒngqì), elevating it to a more philosophical level.
• Example 10:
  • 你搬到新城市，一切都要重新开始，肯定不容易。万事开头难，慢慢来。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ bāndào xīn chéngshì, yīqiè dōu yào chóngxīn kāishǐ, kěndìng bù róngyì. Wàn shì kāi tóu nán, màn man lái.
  • English: You moved to a new city, you have to start everything over, it's definitely not easy. The beginning is always hard, take your time.
  • Analysis: Used to show empathy for someone going through a major life change. It's paired with “慢慢来 (màn man lái)” - “take it slow,” which is a very common and gentle form of encouragement.

• Not an Excuse for Failure: A common mistake is to misinterpret this phrase as a pessimistic outlook or an excuse to give up. Its true spirit is optimistic. It's not “beginnings are hard, so this is probably impossible.” It's “beginnings are hard for everyone, so the fact that you're struggling is normal. Keep going!”
• It's About the Process, Not the Outcome: The phrase focuses on the initial stage of a process. It doesn't guarantee success. The implied follow-up is that you must apply effort and perseverance (坚持, jiānchí) to move beyond the difficult start.
• False Friend: “It's too hard” (太难了, tài nán le): A learner might confuse the feeling behind “万事开头难” with simply complaining “太难了!” While both acknowledge difficulty, “太难了” is often a statement of frustration or a precursor to quitting. “万事开头难” reframes that personal frustration into a universal, shared experience, making it feel more manageable and less like a personal failure.

• 千里之行，始于足下 (qiānlǐ zhī xíng, shǐ yú zúxià) - A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. This proverb emphasizes the importance of starting, while “万事开头难” acknowledges the difficulty of starting.
• 坚持就是胜利 (jiānchí jiùshì shènglì) - Persistence is victory. This is the logical next step: after you get through the hard beginning, you must persist to achieve success.
• 熟能生巧 (shú néng shēng qiǎo) - Practice makes perfect. This describes the state after overcoming the initial difficulty, where things become easier through repetition.
• 有始有终 (yǒu shǐ yǒu zhōng) - To have a beginning and an end; to see things through. This relates to the entire life cycle of a task, of which “万事开头难” is just the first phase.
• 功到自然成 (gōng dào zìrán chéng) - Success comes naturally with enough effort. Similar to “万事开头难,” this proverb promotes a long-term view focused on diligent work.
• 放弃 (fàngqì) - To give up. This is the opposite action that the spirit of “万事开头难” seeks to prevent.
• 加油 (jiāyóu) - Go for it! / Keep going! A very common, informal phrase of encouragement you might use in a situation where “万事开头难” also applies.