proverb · Words worth keeping
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying puts a single first step at the beginning of a thousand-mile journey. It makes a large undertaking approachable through an initial action.
What the words are saying
The scale contrast separates starting from completing: the small step matters because it begins the sequence, not because it accomplishes everything. A useful application identifies a manageable first task while recognising the planning and continued effort still required.
Everyday example
A writer begins a long project by outlining one section rather than waiting to see the whole work finished.
When to use it
Use it to identify a feasible beginning to a larger undertaking.
What it does not mean
Starting does not guarantee completion or remove the need for preparation.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 48; PDF page 11
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.