maan6 si6 hei2 tau4 naan4萬事起頭難万事起头难
Jyutpingmaan6 si6 hei2 tau4 naan4
Yalemaahn sih héi tàuh nàahn
Definition
Everything is difficult at the beginning.
colloquialother
How it's used
This proverb is frequently used as a form of encouragement when someone is struggling with a new task or hobby. It frames the initial frustration as a universal, temporary phase rather than a sign of personal failure. You will often hear it followed by advice to be patient or to keep trying.
Examples
All things are difficult at first, you will get it if you try a few more times.
Learning new things is always hard at the beginning, do not give up so soon.
Related words
Common phrases
all things are difficult at the start
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
