Chinese characters and pinyin
Simplified: 好事多磨
Traditional: 好事多磨
Pinyin: hǎo shì duō mó
Literal translation
Good things meet many trials and delays.
Natural English meaning
Worthwhile outcomes often meet complications before completion.
Closest English equivalent
The course of true love never did run smooth.
The Chinese idiom applies broadly, while the English quotation is especially associated with love.
When to use it
Use it to stay hopeful through delays in a worthwhile undertaking.
When not to use it
Obstacles do not automatically prove that a plan is good.
Example sentence
婚礼准备一波三折，只能说好事多磨。
The wedding plans met one delay after another; good things often take a difficult path.
Origin and cultural context
A traditional idiom common in drama and fiction, especially around delayed happy outcomes.
Classification: idiom. This label distinguishes a complete proverb or popular saying from a compact idiom or a quotation preserved from a classical text.
