What does 善始善终 mean?

善始善终 (shàn shǐ shàn zhōng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to do a good job from beginning to end”.

How do you pronounce 善始善终?

善始善终 is pronounced shàn shǐ shàn zhōng in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 善始善终 literally mean?

Literally, 善始善终 means “Good beginning, good end”. It is used to mean “to do a good job from beginning to end”.

Where does 善始善终 come from?

善始善终 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 善始善终?

做事情有好的开头，也有好的结尾。形容办事认真。

善始善终 — “To do a good job from beginning to end”

善始善终 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to do a good job from beginning to end”. To carry out a task conscientiously from start to finish, ensuring a satisfactory conclusion. Literally, “Good beginning, good end”.

Frequency

善始善终 Pronunciation and Pinyin

善shàn
始shǐ
善shàn
终zhōng

善始善终 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
善	shàn	12	good kind skillful
始	shǐ	8	to begin or start
善	shàn	12	good kind skillful
终	zhōng	8	End, final, eventually

Example Sentence with 善始善终

无论做什么事情，我们都应该力求善始善终，这样才能取得令人满意的成果。

No matter what we do, we should strive to do it well from start to finish, only then can we achieve satisfactory results.

Origin and Story of 善始善终

Towards the end of the Qin Dynasty, Chen Ping, who came from a poor family, was fond of the Huang-Lao philosophy, which blended Daoist and Legalist ideas.

He successively held positions as the Grand Coachman for King Ji of Wei, a commandant under Xiang Yu, and a military commandant under Liu Bang. He shrewdly plotted to alienate Xiang Yu from his trusted advisor Fan Zeng.

After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, he was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Quni. He served as chancellor through the reigns of Emperor Hui, Empress Lü, and Emperor Wen, showcasing his remarkable ability to adapt to various situations and ensure a good outcome from start to finish.

Idioms Related to 善始善终

Synonyms of 善始善终

Antonyms of 善始善终

More idioms starting with 善

Questions about 善始善终

What does 善始善终 mean?: 善始善终 (shàn shǐ shàn zhōng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to do a good job from beginning to end”.
How do you pronounce 善始善终?: 善始善终 is pronounced shàn shǐ shàn zhōng in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 善始善终 literally mean?: Literally, 善始善终 means “Good beginning, good end”. It is used to mean “to do a good job from beginning to end”.
Where does 善始善终 come from?: 善始善终 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 善始善终?: 做事情有好的开头，也有好的结尾。形容办事认真。

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