The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones

Meaning: Great accomplishments are only possible through gradual, persistent small efforts.

Origin: Chinese proverb attributed to Confucius, reflecting Confucian emphasis on steady self-cultivation.

Translations

• French: L'homme qui déplace une montagne commence par emporter de petites pierres (literally: The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying small stones)
• Spanish: El hombre que mueve una montaña empieza llevando pequeñas piedras (literally: The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying small stones)
• Japanese: 山を動かす者は小石を運ぶことから始める (Yama wo ugokasu mono wa koishi wo hakobu koto kara hajimeru) (literally: He who moves a mountain begins by carrying small stones)

← Back to Proverbs

Loading the full interactive collection…