Meanings
alternative a journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step · alternative a thousand-mile journey begins with the first step
- Even the longest and most difficult ventures have a starting point.
It has often been said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. We have made many steps in our journey towards the republic, and perhaps are closer to our destination than we imagine.
2020, Malcolm Turnbull, The Reluctant Republic, Hardie Grant Publishing, →ISBN2 more examples
“A thousand-mile journey begins with the first step” and can only be taken one step at a time. If you don't let a teacher know at what level you are—by asking a question, or revealing your ignorance—you will not learn or grow.
1989, Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Free Press, →ISBNThe problems are great--but this means that the opportunities are also great. In this situation it is well to remember the ancient wise words of Lao Tzu "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."
1981, Robert Leland Youngs, Forest products research needs and prospects (thinking globally, acting locally), Forest Products Laboratory, Forest Service, U.S. Department of AgricultureSynonyms: take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves, many a mickle makes a muckle, every little helps, little and often fills the purse
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbEven the longest and most difficult ventures have a starting point.
Origin
Calque from Chinese 千里之行，始於足下 (qiānlǐ zhī xíng, shǐyú zú xià), quoted by the Chinese philosopher Laozi in the Tao Te Ching. This quote is sometimes erroneously attributed to Laozi's contemporary, Confucius, or to the Japanese.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic رِحْلَةُ اَلْأَلْفِ مِيلِ تَبْدَأُ بِخَطْوَةِ وَاحِدَةِ
- رِحْلَةُ اَلْأَلْفِ مِيلِ تَبْدَأُ بِخَطْوَةِ وَاحِدَةِ (riḥlatu l-ʔalfi mīli tabdaʔu bi-ḵaṭwati wāḥidati)a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Chinese Cantonese 千里之行，始於足下
- 千里之行，始於足下 (cin¹ lei⁵ zi¹ hang⁴, ci² jyu¹ zuk¹ haa⁶)a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Chinese Mandarin 千里之行，始於足下
- 千里之行，始於足下 (qiānlǐ zhīxíng, shǐyú zúxià)a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Czech cesta dlouhá tisíc mil začíná jedním krokem
- cesta dlouhá tisíc mil začíná jedním krokema journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Dutch een reis van duizend mijlen begint met een enkele stap
- een reis van duizend mijlen begint met een enkele stapa journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Esperanto milmejla vojaĝo komenciĝas per unu paŝo
- milmejla vojaĝo komenciĝas per unu paŝoa journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Estonian tuhande miiline rännak algab esimesest sammust
- tuhande miiline rännak algab esimesest sammusta journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Finnish pisinkin matka alkaa yhdellä askeleella
- pisinkin matka alkaa yhdellä askeleellaa journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
French un voyage de mille lieues commence toujours par un premier pas
- un voyage de mille lieues commence toujours par un premier pasa journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
German eine Reise von tausend Meilen beginnt mit dem ersten Schritt
- eine Reise von tausend Meilen beginnt mit dem ersten Schritta journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Greek ένα ταξίδι χιλίων μιλίων ξεκινά με ένα μόνο βήμα
- ένα ταξίδι χιλίων μιλίων ξεκινά με ένα μόνο βήμα (éna taxídi chilíon milíon xekiná me éna móno víma)a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Hebrew גם מסע של אלף מייל מתחיל בצעד אחד קטן
- גם מסע של אלף מייל מתחיל בצעד אחד קטןa journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Hindi हजार कोसों का सफर भी एक पैर उठाने से ही शुरू होता है
- हजार कोसों का सफर भी एक पैर उठाने से ही शुरू होता है (hajār kosõ kā saphar bhī ek pair uṭhāne se hī śurū hotā hai)a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Hungarian az ezer mérföldes utazás is egyetlen lépéssel kezdődik
- az ezer mérföldes utazás is egyetlen lépéssel kezdődika journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Italian un viaggio di mille miglia comincia con il primo passo
- un viaggio di mille miglia comincia con il primo passoa journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Japanese 千里の道も一歩から
- 千里の道も一歩から (senri no michi mo ippo kara)a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Korean 천 리 길도 한 걸음부터, 천리지행 시어족하
- 천 리 길도 한 걸음부터 (cheon ri gildo han georeumbuteo)a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
- 천리지행 시어족하 (cheollijihaeng sieojokha)a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Lithuanian tūkstančio mylių kelionė prasideda žengus vieną žingsnį
- tūkstančio mylių kelionė prasideda žengus vieną žingsnįa journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Malay ada padi semua kerja jadi, ada beras semua kerja deras
- ada padi semua kerja jadi, ada beras semua kerja derasa journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Norwegian en vandring på tusen mil starter med ett enkelt skritt
- en vandring på tusen mil starter med ett enkelt skritta journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Polish podróż tysiąca mil zaczyna się od jednego kroku
- podróż tysiąca mil zaczyna się od jednego krokua journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Portuguese uma viagem de mil milhas começa com um único passo
- uma viagem de mil milhas começa com um único passoa journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Romanian o călătorie de o mie de mile începe cu un singur pas
- o călătorie de o mie de mile începe cu un singur pasa journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Russian путь в ты́сячу вёрст начина́ется с пе́рвого ша́га
- путь в ты́сячу вёрст начина́ется с пе́рвого ша́га (putʹ v týsjaču vjorst načinájetsja s pérvovo šága)a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Spanish un viaje de mil millas comienza con un solo paso
- un viaje de mil millas comienza con un solo pasoa journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Swahili aambuaye nyayo safari ameianza
- aambuaye nyayo safari ameianzaa journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Tagalog ang mahabang paglalakbay ay nagsimula sa isang hakbang
- ang mahabang paglalakbay ay nagsimula sa isang hakbanga journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Thai หนทางไกลนับพันลี้เริ่มต้นจากก้าวแรก
- หนทางไกลนับพันลี้เริ่มต้นจากก้าวแรก (hǒn taang glai náp pan líi rə̂əm dtôn jàak gâao rɛ̂ɛk)a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Turkish binlerce kilometrelik yolculuk bile tek bir adımla başlar
- binlerce kilometrelik yolculuk bile tek bir adımla başlara journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Ukrainian шлях у ти́сячу миль почина́ється з одного́ кро́ку
- шлях у ти́сячу миль почина́ється з одного́ кро́ку (šljax u týsjaču mylʹ počynájetʹsja z odnohó króku)a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Vietnamese hành trình ngàn dặm bắt đầu từ một bước đi
- hành trình ngàn dặm bắt đầu từ một bước đia journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Cite this entry
a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20journey%20of%20a%20thousand%20miles%20begins%20with%20a%20single%20step
“a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20journey%20of%20a%20thousand%20miles%20begins%20with%20a%20single%20step. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20journey%20of%20a%20thousand%20miles%20begins%20with%20a%20single%20step.
Source: a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.