ProverbChallengeChinese origin

有志者事竟成 (Yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng)

Meaning: With determination, you will succeed in the end.

Literally: One who has the will succeeds in the end

Example: “他考了三次终于考上了大学。有志者事竟成。” — He took the exam three times and finally got into university: where there's a will, there's a way.

Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and 3 more languages

  • English: Nothing is impossible to a willing mind.
  • French: À qui veut, rien n'est impossible (literally: To one who wills, nothing is impossible)
  • Spanish: Querer es poder (literally: To want is to be able)
  • Japanese: 精神一到何事か成らざらん (Seishin ittō nani goto ka narazaran) (literally: With the spirit concentrated, what thing could not be accomplished?)
  • German: Wo ein Wille ist, ist auch ein Weg (literally: Where there is a will, there is also a way)
  • Italian: Volere è potere (literally: To want is to be able)
  • Portuguese: Querer é poder (literally: To want is to be able)
  • Polish: Dla chcącego nic trudnego (literally: For one who wants, nothing is hard)

Origin: From the Book of the Later Han: Emperor Guangwu praised his general Geng Yan with these words after a campaign the emperor had thought impossible.

More proverbs about Challenge

Explore another collection: False Friends

Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.

  • Sensible Actually means 'sensitive'. For sensible/level-headed, say raisonnable.
  • Librairie Actually means 'bookshop'. A library is une bibliothèque.
  • Constipado Actually means 'having a head cold'. Estoy constipado = I have a cold.

Browse all false friends →

Keep exploring

Explore all proverbs →