KANAE
009Japanese proverb ことわざ

思い立ったが吉日

Omoitatta ga kichijitsu

“The best day to begin is the day you think of it.”

Word for wordThe day of resolve is the auspicious day.

The meaning

There is no perfect moment coming later. The momentum of the day the idea is born is already the best condition.

At the origin

A traditional proverb: no need to consult the calendar for a "good day" — the decision itself makes it good.

The characters

  1. 思い立った omoitattahaving resolved
  2. ga(subject)
  3. 吉日

The complete word-by-word reading, in KANAE.

ParticleMarks the subject: the one who does, or what is.

In practice

Do not look for the ideal date: start small today.

Themes

Similar proverbs

Related expressions

See also