有志者事竟成 (yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng) — where there's a will, there's a way

Definition

A chengyu (proverb) meaning effort and determination will overcome any obstacle — used to encourage persistence, like the English saying "where there's a will, there's a way."

idiom
where there's a willthere's a way

Examples

  • 有志者事竟成，。
    Bié wàng le yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng, jiān chí jiù huì chéng gōng.
    Don't forget: where there's a will there's a way — persistence leads to success.
  • 有志者事竟成。
    Tā yòng yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng zhè jù huà gǔ lì zì jǐ.
    He encouraged himself with the saying 'Where there's a will, there's a way.'
  • 有志者事竟成，。
    Wǒ xiāng xìn yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng, zhǐ yào nǔ lì jiù néng zuò dào.
    I believe that where there's a will there's a way — as long as you work hard, you can make it.

Origin

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
心心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
之
之zhī志zhì
Same sound today

志 has 心, the heart, below and a simplified top from 之 for sound.

Open 志 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 者 originally drew a sugarcane with full stems, small points around it, and an open smiling mouth at the bottom.

Open 者 →

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

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →

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

The origin is uncertain, but one old reading sees 竟 as 音 (sound) with 儿 (a person), meaning a person has spoken.

Open 竟 →

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
戊戊wù
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng成chéng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

成 puts 戊, a weapon, beside 丁, which gives the sound. The weapon part relates to protection, as in the old sense of city walls.

Open 成 →

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