ProverbWisdom
International origin
International originAn oak is not felled by one blow.
Meaning: Great strength and resilience require persistent effort; single attempts cannot overcome deeply rooted obstacles.
Origin: A great tree takes many strokes of the axe. Versions of the proverb exist in Spanish, German, Dutch, Italian and French; it is related to "little strokes fell great oaks" and urges patience with any large task.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, and Korean
French: Goutte à goutte, l'eau creuse la pierre (literally: Drop by drop, water hollows out the stone)
Spanish: Un solo golpe no derriba a un roble (literally: A single blow doesn't fell an oak)
Japanese: 雨垂れ石を穿つ (Ame-dare ishi o ugatsu) (literally: Raindrops pierce the stone)
German: Auf einen Hieb fällt kein Baum (literally: No tree falls at a single stroke)
Italian: Al primo colpo non cade l'albero (literally: The tree doesn't fall at the first blow)
Korean: 첫술에 배부르랴 (Cheotsure baebureurya) (literally: Can the first spoonful fill you up?)
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