TongTong
Sign in

善始善终 (shàn shǐ shàn zhōng) — to start well and end well; to do something well from beginning to end

Definition

A chengyu meaning to carry a task through from start to finish with consistent quality. Often contrasted with 虎头蛇尾 ('strong start, weak finish').

idiom
to start well and end wellto do something well from beginning to end

Examples

  • 善始善终，。
    Tā zuò shì yí xiàng shàn shǐ shàn zhōng, cóng lái méi yǒu bàn tú ér fèi.
    He always starts well and ends well, never giving up halfway.
  • 善始善终，。
    Zhè ge xiàng mù néng gòu shàn shǐ shàn zhōng, quán kào tuán duì de nǔ lì.
    That this project could be completed well from start to finish is all thanks to the team's effort.
  • ，善始善终，。
    Wú lùn zuò shén me, wǒ men dōu yīng gāi shàn shǐ shàn zhōng, bù néng hǔ tóu shé wěi.
    No matter what we do, we should start well and end well, not start strong and finish weak.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

善始begin well
善shàngood/well始shǐbegin
偏正Modifier + head
善终end well
善shàngood/well终zhōngend
偏正Modifier + head

善始 begin well and 善终 end well are parallel, giving a good start and finish.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

An earlier form of 善 joined 羊, a sheep linked with goodness or beauty, and 誩, described as a wrangle; the reference says this meaning link is hard to understand.

Open 善 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚwoman
Sound part声符shēngfú
台
台tái始shǐ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

始 is made of 女 (woman) and 台, which gives the sound.

Open 始 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

An earlier form of 善 joined 羊, a sheep linked with goodness or beauty, and 誩, described as a wrangle; the reference says this meaning link is hard to understand.

Open 善 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 終; 终 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
冬
冬dōng終zhōng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 終 pairs 糸 (a cord) with 冬 as a sound part; the simplified 终 is a later shorthand. An older form showed a knot at the end of a cord.

Open 终 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesSuccess & Failure

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.