其将毕也必巨

其將畢也必巨

qí jiāng bì yě bì jù

quotation

Meanings

1 when it reaches its end, it must be enormous
2 the final scale of any endeavor far exceeds its humble start
3 when it is about to finish, it must be huge

Characters

classical pause particle

Examples

HSK 5

任何运动都是如此：其将毕也必巨。

Rènhé yùndòng dōu shì rúcǐ: qí jiāng bì yě bì jù.

Any movement is like this - when it concludes, it is vast.

HSK 7-9

其作始也简，其将毕也必巨 - 这家初创公司印证了庄子的话。

Qí zuò shǐ yě jiǎn, qí jiāng bì yě bì jù - zhè jiā chūchuàng gōngsī yìnzhèng le Zhuāngzǐ de huà.

'Beginning simply, ending grandly' - this startup confirmed Zhuangzi's words.

Tips

history

From 《庄子·人间世》: 其作始也简，其将毕也必巨 (Its beginnings are modest; its ending must be enormous.) Zhuangzi warns Yan Hui about the inflation of consequences: small ideological projects tend to balloon into unmanageable ones. Mao Zedong quoted the couplet in 1956 at the 8th CCP Congress.

usage

Always paired with 其作始也简. 也 is a classical pause particle. 将 here means 'about to / going to' (jiāng), not 'general' (jiàng). The couplet's tone can be either triumphal or cautionary depending on context.

Stroke Order

其 qí

将 jiāng

毕 bì

也 yě

必 bì

巨 jù