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有始有终 (yǒu shǐ yǒu zhōng) — to see something through from start to finish; to follow through to the end

Definition

A set-phrase idiom praising someone who persists to the end, often contrasted with 半途而废 ('give up halfway'). The antonym 半途而废 is not in the sibling list, so frame the positive sense only.

idiom
to see something through from start to finishto follow through to the end

Examples

  • 有始有终，。
    Tā zuò shì qing zǒng shì yǒu shǐ yǒu zhōng, zhí dé dà jiā xué xí.
    He always sees things through from start to finish, which is worth learning from.
  • 有始有终，。
    Zhǐ yào nǐ néng yǒu shǐ yǒu zhōng, jiù yí dìng néng chéng gōng.
    As long as you can follow through to the end, you will definitely succeed.
  • 有始有终，。
    Wǒ xī wàng nǐ néng yǒu shǐ yǒu zhōng, bú yào bàn tú ér fèi.
    I hope you can carry it through to the end and not give up halfway.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

有始have a start
有yǒuhave始shǐbeginning
动宾Verb + object
有终have an end
有yǒuhave终zhōngend
动宾Verb + object

有始 means having a beginning and 有终 means having an end; together they describe seeing something through from start to finish.

Characters in this word

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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 →

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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 PhrasesPersonality & Traits

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