DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT
有始無終
简 有始无终 · 繁 有始無終Mandarin · pinyin yǒu shǐ wú zhōng
Meanings
- to start but not finish (idiom); to fail to carry things through
- lack of sticking power
- short attention span
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Mandarin tones
3–3–2–1 · you3 shi3 wu2 zhong1
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
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Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
jau5 ci2 mou4 zung1
Cantonese word readings for 有始無終. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
jau5 ci2 mou4 zung1
Pleco · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Word reading; meanings not aligned.
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
phrase
- (idiomatic) to have a beginning but not an end
- (idiomatic) to start something but fail to carry it through; to begin well but end badly
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack