the first step is always the hardest

English

Proverb

the first step is always the hardest

1. The hardest part of a process is always the beginning; things get easier afterwards.

Translations

Translations

• Finnish: alku aina hankalaa
• French: il n’y a que le premier pas qui coûte (fr)
• German: aller Anfang ist schwer (de)
• Latin: porta itinerī longissima
• Polish: pierwsze koty za płoty (pl)
• Russian: лиха́ беда́ нача́ло (ru) (lixá bedá načálo)
• Spanish: el primer paso es siempre el más difícil, todo es ponerse (Spain, colloquial)

Further reading

• “the first step is always the hardest” in Idioms and phrases, TheFreeDictionary.com, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.: Farlex, Inc., 2003–2024.