ProverbPerseverance
Greek origin
Greek originWell begun is half done.
Meaning: Starting with proper preparation and intention dramatically increases your likelihood of completing any task successfully.
Origin: The thought is ancient: Aristotle quotes the proverb that the beginning is half of the whole, and the Roman poet Horace wrote dimidium facti qui coepit habet — he who has begun has half done. Starting is the hardest part.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, and 2 more languages
French: Heureux commencement est la moitié de l'œuvre (literally: A happy beginning is half the work)
Spanish: Buen principio, la mitad es hecho (literally: Well begun is half done)
Japanese: 始めが肝心 (Hajime ga kanjin) (literally: The beginning is what is crucial)
German: Frisch begonnen ist halb gewonnen (literally: Briskly begun is half won)
Italian: Buon principio è la metà dell’opra (literally: Well begun is half done)
Dutch: Een goed begin is het halve werk (literally: A good start is half the work)
Korean: 시작이 반이다 (Sijagi banida) (literally: Starting is half of it)
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