The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago; the second best time is now

Meaning: The right time to act is always now, no matter how late it feels.

Origin: Chinese proverb, widely attributed across East Asian cultures.

Translations

• French: Le meilleur moment pour planter un arbre était il y a vingt ans ; le deuxième meilleur moment est maintenant (literally: The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago; the second best moment is now)
• Spanish: El mejor momento para plantar un árbol fue hace veinte años; el segundo mejor momento es ahora (literally: The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago; the second best time is now)
• Japanese: 木を植えるのに最善の時は二十年前だった。次善の時は今だ (Ki wo ueru no ni saizen no toki wa nijūnen mae datta. Jizen no toki wa ima da) (literally: The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The next best time is now)

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