🗣️ China: “A journey of a thousand miles begins beneath the foot”

Chinese proverb · Asia

千里之行，始於足下

qiān lǐ zhī xíng, shǐ yú zú xià

“A journey of a thousand miles begins beneath the foot”

Any great undertaking starts with a single first step. Attributed to Laozi, the Tao Te Ching.

About this proverb

This saying belongs to the oral tradition of China, a country in Asia. Read the full collection of China proverbs, or explore the Proverbs of the World index.

三個臭皮匠，頂個諸葛亮

sān gè chòu píjiàng, dǐng gè Zhūgě Liàng

“Three humble cobblers equal one Zhuge Liang”

Ordinary people thinking together can match the wisdom of a great strategist — collective intelligence beats a single mind.

熟能生巧

shú néng shēng qiǎo

“Familiarity breeds skill”

Practice makes perfect — repetition is what turns clumsy effort into mastery.

Proverbs are traditional folk heritage (public domain); the translation and explanation are our own plain-English rendering. Stored statically.

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