十年樹木，百年樹人

The proverb likely originates as a paraphrase of a quotation from Records of the Grand Historian (《史記·貨殖列傳》):

居之一歲，種之以穀；十歲，樹之以木；百歲，來之以德。德者，人物之謂也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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居之一岁，种之以谷；十岁，树之以木；百岁，来之以德。德者，人物之谓也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

Jū zhī yī suì, zhǒng zhī yǐ gǔ; shí suì, shù zhī yǐ mù; bǎi suì, lái zhī yǐ dé. Dé zhě, rénwù zhī wèi yě. [Pinyin]

To plan for the next year, grow grains. For the next decade, plant trees. For the next century, cultivate the humanity that people admire. By humanity, we refer to what is in humans.

The 16th-century politician Sun Jigao (孫繼皐) wrote:

夫一年樹榖，十年樹木，百年樹人，言育材也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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夫一年树榖，十年树木，百年树人，言育材也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: c. 16th century, Sun Jigao (孫繼皐), 《又贈郡大夫河南錢公應覲敘》, in 《宗伯集》

Fú yī nián shùgǔ, shínián shùmù, bǎinián shùrén, yán yùcái yě. [Pinyin]

That it takes one year to grow grains, one decade to grow trees, and one century to grow humans — this is what we say about education.

十年樹木，百年樹人

1. (figurative) it takes a long time for good education to bear fruit (i.e. to produce a competent person)

   • 欣聞歐洲華文作家協會成立二十年了，我自然而然想起了「十年樹木，百年樹人」的老話，頗多感慨。如果換一種表述方式，那是否可以說：人生幾個二十年？ [MSC, trad.]
     欣闻欧洲华文作家协会成立二十年了，我自然而然想起了「十年树木，百年树人」的老话，颇多感慨。如果换一种表述方式，那是否可以说：人生几个二十年？ [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2011 November 1, 凌鼎年, 《同心同德、互學互幫》, from 《迤邐文林二十年：歐華作協二十華誕紀念文集》, page 23

     Xīnwén Ōuzhōu huáwén zuòjiā xiéhuì chénglì èrshí nián le, wǒ zìrán'érrán xiǎngqǐ le “shínián shùmù, bǎinián shùrén” de lǎohuà, pōduō gǎnkǎi. Rúguǒ huàn yīzhǒng biǎoshù fāngshì, nà shìfǒu kěyǐ shuō: rénshēng jǐgè èrshí nián? [Pinyin]

     Being glad to hear that it had been twenty years since CWAE was founded, I automatically remembered that old saying, "it takes a long time to produce a competent person". Many feelings welled up inside my mind. If I change its way of expression, then could it be "How many 'twenty years' are there in a person's life?"

   • 「十年樹木，百年樹人」，教育是長期工程，不要指望孩子一兩個月就會發生多大變化、進步多麼明顯 [MSC, trad.]
     「十年树木，百年树人」，教育是长期工程，不要指望孩子一两个月就会发生多大变化、进步多么明显 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2011 October 3, 盧靜文, 《一生不能不懂的教育學故事》, page 190

     “Shínián shùmù, bǎinián shùrén”, jiàoyù shì chángqī gōngchéng, bùyào zhǐwàng háizǐ yīliǎnggè yuè jiù huì fāshēng duōdà biànhuà, jìnbù duōme míngxiǎn [Pinyin]

     "It takes a long time to produce a competent person." Education is a long-term project so don't expect your children to change much or make clear progress after only one to two months