萬事起頭難

See also: 万事起头难

Chinese

		all; everything	to take the lead; to show initiative; to be the first to take the lead; to show initiative; to be the first; to set an example	disaster; distress; to scold disaster; distress; to scold; difficult (to...); problem; difficulty; difficult; not good
trad. (萬事起頭難)		萬事	起頭	難
simp. (万事起头难)		万事	起头	难

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): wànshì qǐtóu nán

(Zhuyin): ㄨㄢˋ ㄕˋ ㄑㄧˇ ㄊㄡˊ ㄋㄢˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): maan⁶ si⁶ hei² tau⁴ naan⁴
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): van-sṳ hí-thèu nàn

(Meixian, Guangdong): van⁴ si⁴ hi³ têu² nan²
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): bān-sū khí-thâu lân / bān-sīr khí-thâu lân

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: wànshì qǐtóu nán
  - Zhuyin: ㄨㄢˋ ㄕˋ ㄑㄧˇ ㄊㄡˊ ㄋㄢˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: wànshìh cǐtóu nán
  - Wade–Giles: wan⁴-shih⁴ chʻi³-tʻou² nan²
  - Yale: wàn-shr̀ chǐ-tóu nán
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wannshyh chiitour nan
  - Palladius: ваньши цитоу нань (vanʹši citou nanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /wän⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ nän³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: maan⁶ si⁶ hei² tau⁴ naan⁴
  - Yale: maahn sih héi tàuh nàahn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: maan⁶ si⁶ hei² tau⁴ naan⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: man⁶ xi⁶ héi² teo⁴ nan⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /maːn²² siː²² hei̯³⁵ tʰɐu̯²¹ naːn²¹/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: van-sṳ hí-thèu nàn
  - Hakka Romanization System: van sii hi^ˋ teu^ˇ nan^ˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: van⁴ si⁴ hi³ teu² nan²
  - Sinological IPA: /van⁵⁵ sɨ⁵⁵ hi³¹ tʰeu̯¹¹ nan¹¹/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: van⁴ si⁴ hi³ têu² nan²
  - Sinological IPA: /ʋan⁵³⁻⁵⁵ sz̩⁵³⁻⁵⁵ hi³¹ tʰeu¹¹ nan¹¹/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bān-sū khí-thâu lân
  - Tâi-lô: bān-sū khí-thâu lân
  - Phofsit Daibuun: baxnsu qy'taau laan
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /ban³³⁻²¹ su³³ kʰi⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ tʰau²³⁻³³ lan²³/
  - IPA (Taipei): /ban³³⁻¹¹ su³³ kʰi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ tʰau²⁴⁻¹¹ lan²⁴/
  - IPA (Xiamen): /ban²²⁻²¹ su²² kʰi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ tʰau²⁴⁻²² lan²⁴/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /ban²²⁻²¹ su²² kʰi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ tʰau¹³⁻²² lan¹³/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bān-sīr khí-thâu lân
  - Tâi-lô: bān-sīr khí-thâu lân
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /ban⁴¹⁻²² sɯ⁴¹ kʰi⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ tʰau²⁴⁻²² lan²⁴/

Proverb

萬事起頭難

getting started is always the hardest part
Synonym: 萬事開頭難 / 万事开头难

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
萬	事	起	頭	難

Proverb

萬事起頭難

chữ Hán form of vạn sự khởi đầu nan (“getting started is always the hardest part”)