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: Usually called a Chinese proverb, but Quote Investigator found no evidence of a Chinese source. The pattern is older in American print: an 1881 Pennsylvania newspaper advised that spring was the best time for setting strawberry plants and "the next best time is now," and tree versions naming ten, twenty or thirty years circulated in the 20th century.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- 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)
- German: Besser spät als nie (literally: Better late than never)
More proverbs about Wisdom
- To know the road ahead, ask those coming back — Learn from people with experience before embarking on an unfamiliar path.
- The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists — Flexibility and adaptability are greater strengths than rigid resistance.
- When the student is ready, the teacher will appear — Learning happens when one is truly open and prepared to receive knowledge.
- He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask remains a fool forever — Admitting ignorance and seeking knowledge is always wiser than pretending to understand.
- Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped — Focus on the root cause of a problem rather than just its consequence.
- He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything — Good health is the foundation upon which all other good things in life are built.
From our idioms
- att vara rädd som en hare — To be extremely fearful and jumpy, ready to flee at the slightest danger.
- dar um jeito — Find a creative solution or workaround, often bending rules pragmatically.
- estar com a corda no pescoço — Be in serious financial or personal trouble with no easy escape.