Proverb / Kotowaza
百里を行く者は九十里を半ばとす
One should stay focused and maintain effort until a task is completely finished, as the final stage is the most difficult.
He who travels a hundred ri should consider ninety ri as the halfway point.
Quick Answer
One should stay focused and maintain effort until a task is completely finished, as the final stage is the most difficult.
- Literal Image
- He who travels a hundred ri should consider ninety ri as the halfway point.
- How to Use It
- Used to warn against becoming careless when a goal is in sight, or to encourage someone to maintain their concentration during the final phase of a project.
Meaning
This proverb teaches that the closing stages of any undertaking are the hardest to complete. Even when you are ninety percent finished, you should act as if you have only reached the halfway mark to avoid overconfidence and ensure a successful conclusion.
Literal Image
He who travels a hundred ri should consider ninety ri as the halfway point.
How to Use It
Used to warn against becoming careless when a goal is in sight, or to encourage someone to maintain their concentration during the final phase of a project.
Tone
Instructional and cautionary; can be used in professional or academic contexts.
Examples
あと少しで完成だが、油断してはいけない。百里を行く者は九十里を半ばとすと言うだろう。
It is almost finished, but you must not let your guard down. They say that he who travels a hundred ri should consider ninety ri as the halfway point.
勝利目前で逆転されてしまった。百里を行く者は九十里を半ばとすの精神が足りなかった。
We were overtaken just before victory. We lacked the spirit of treating the ninety-ri mark as only the halfway point.
プロジェクトは最終段階こそ慎重に進めよう。百里を行く者は九十里を半ばとすだ。
Let's proceed carefully since the project is in its final stage. Remember: ninety ri is only halfway on a hundred-ri journey.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
The proverb uses a classical structure '〜とす' and a long, complex sentence pattern that requires advanced grammar knowledge to parse correctly.
百里
ひゃくり / hyakuri
100 ri (a traditional unit of distance)
半ば
なかば / nakaba
middle; halfway
〜とする
とする / ~ to suru
to consider as; to treat as
Usage Profile
Usage note: This is a formal and literary expression; using it in very casual conversation might feel overly stiff.
Misread Risk
Avoid interpreting this as a literal mathematical statement; it is a psychological rule about maintaining focus when the end is in sight.
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Origin
This expression originates from the Chinese classic Zhan Guo Ce (Strategies of the Warring States). It describes how the final ten ri of a hundred-ri journey feel as long and difficult as the first ninety, serving as a reminder to maintain discipline until the goal is fully reached.
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Source Note
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