善 始 善 终

shàn shǐ shàn zhōngdictionary entry

where there's a start, there's a finish (idiom); to finish once one starts sth / to carry things through / I started, so I'll finish.

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-547923e8bfa4c3d1. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

善始善終 善始善终 [shan4 shi3 shan4 zhong1] /where there's a start, there's a finish (idiom); to finish once one starts sth/to carry things through/I started, so I'll finish./

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: 善始善終

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.