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靡不有初，鲜克有终

mǐ bù yǒu chū , xiǎn kè yǒu zhōngdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
almost everything has a start, but not many things have an end (idiom) / don't start sth you can't handle
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-2813038c9d91b7af. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

靡不有初，鮮克有終 靡不有初，鲜克有终 [mi3 bu4 you3 chu1 , xian3 ke4 you3 zhong1] /almost everything has a start, but not many things have an end (idiom); don't start sth you can't handle/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 靡不有初，鮮克有終

  • 靡
    mí

    to waste (money)

    mǐ

    extravagant / go with fashion / not

  • 不
    bù

    no / not so / (bound form) not / un-

  • 有
    yǒu

    to have / there is / (bound form) having / with / -ful / -ed / -al (as in 有意[yǒu yì] intentional)

  • 初
    chū

    (bound form) at first / initially / (bound form) first / early / (bound form) (in lunar calendar dates, before numerals 1–10) days 1 to 10 of a month, as in 初三[chū sān] "the third"

  • 鲜
    xiǎn

    few / rare

    xiān

    fresh / bright (in color) / delicious / tasty / delicacy / aquatic foods / fish

  • 克
    kè

    to be able to / to subdue / to restrain / to overcome / gram / Tibetan unit of land area, about 6 ares / to overthrow

    Kè

    abbr. for 克羅地亞|克罗地亚[Kè luó dì yà], Croatia / (Tw) abbr. for 克羅埃西亞|克罗埃西亚[Kè luó āi xī yà], Croatia / Ke (c. 2000 BC), seventh of the legendary Flame Emperors, 炎帝[Yán dì] descended from Shennong 神農|神农[Shén nóng] Farmer God

  • 有
    yǒu

    to have / there is / (bound form) having / with / -ful / -ed / -al (as in 有意[yǒu yì] intentional)

  • 终
    zhōng

    end / finish

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.