ProverbPerseveranceJapanese origin

Fall seven times, get up eight

Meaning: Perseverance is the key to mastery and resilience.

Origin: A Japanese proverb, nana korobi ya oki (七転び八起き). It is closely tied to the Daruma doll, a round-bottomed figure of the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma that rights itself however often it is knocked over, and a traditional symbol of perseverance.

Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and Chinese

  • French: Tomber sept fois, se relever huit (literally: Fall seven times, get up eight)
  • Spanish: Caer siete veces, levantarse ocho (literally: Fall seven times, rise eight)
  • Japanese: 七転び八起き (Nana korobi ya oki) (literally: Seven falls, eight rises)
  • German: Beharrlichkeit führt zum Ziel (literally: Persistence leads to the goal)
  • Chinese: 百折不挠 (Bǎi zhé bù náo) (literally: Bent a hundred times, never yielding)

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