An 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, and German
- French: Goutte à goutte, l'eau creuse la pierre (literally: Drop by drop, water hollows out the stone)
- Spanish: Un solo golpe no derriba á un roble (literally: An oak is not felled at one blow)
- 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)
More proverbs about Wisdom
- An occasion lost cannot be redeemed. — Missed opportunities vanish permanently; time's passing erases chances that won't return.
- An old cat laps as much as a young kitten. — Age doesn't diminish appetite or basic needs; elderly and young require similar sustenanc…
- As the old cock crows so crows the young. — Children naturally imitate their parents' behavior, words, and habits rather than followi…
- An old dog barks not in vain. — Experience earns credibility; when veterans finally speak, their warnings deserve serious…
- An old sack wanteth much patching. — Neglected problems compound over time, requiring increasingly costly repairs to restore w…
- The mouse that hath but one hole is easily taken. — A creature relying on single escape route faces inevitable capture when discovered.
From our tongue twisters
- Parangaricutirimícuaro — Not a sentence but a single word — a legendary 22-letter pronunciation challenge from a r…
- Dans ta tente ta tante t'attend. — A gentle 'ta / ten / tan / t'' warm-up that sounds faster than it reads.
- Seize chaises sèches sur seize arches sèches. — A relentless collision of 'sei', 'sèch', and 's' — the tongue can't find traction.