行百里者半九十

xíngbǎilǐzhěbànjiǔshí

idiom

Meanings

1 of a hundred-li journey, ninety li is only half
2 the final stretch is the hardest / don't slacken near the finish

Characters

li (unit, ~0.5 km)

one who (classical)

ten (九十 = ninety)

Examples

HSK 7-9

行百里者半九十，最后阶段千万不能松懈。

Xíngbǎilǐzhěbànjiǔshí, zuìhòu jiēduàn qiānwàn bù néng sōngxiè.

Ninety of a hundred li is only halfway - don't slacken in the final stretch.

HSK 7-9

项目接近收尾，但行百里者半九十，越到后面越要仔细。

Xiàngmù jiējìn shōuwěi, dàn xíngbǎilǐzhěbànjiǔshí, yuè dào hòumiàn yuè yào zǐxì.

The project is nearly done, but the final tenth is half the work - the closer we get, the more careful we must be.

Tips

history

From the 《战国策·秦策五》: 诗云“行百里者半于九十。”此言末路之难也 - 'The Odes say "of a hundred li, ninety is half" - this speaks of the hardness of the final stretch.' A classical warning that the closer you are to the goal, the harder the last bit becomes. Often invoked in reform speeches.

usage

Standard quotation in year-end speeches, project reviews, and reform-deepening rhetoric. The math is symbolic, not literal - the point is that the last 10% of a journey feels like half the effort.

Stroke Order

行 xíng

百 bǎi

里 lǐ

者 zhě

半 bàn

九 jiǔ

十 shí