ちりも積もれば山となる
chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru
Saving a little every day? Learning five words a day? Japanese people encourage you with chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru (ちりも積もれば山となる).
I’m Arasen, an elementary school principal and calligrapher in Japan. It works for good habits – and, as our skit shows, for chocolate too!
Quick Facts
| Japanese | ちりも積もれば山となる |
|---|---|
| Reading | ちりもつもればやまとなる |
| Romaji | chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru |
| Literally | Even dust, if it piles up, becomes a mountain |
| Meaning | Small things add up to something big. |
| English cousin | Many a little makes a mickle. / Little by little. |
What Does It Mean?
Even the smallest things, when they pile up, can become as big as a mountain.
Keep doing small things steadily, and you can achieve something great. But be careful – small bad habits pile up too!
Word by Word
| 塵 | chiri – dust |
|---|---|
| も積もれば | mo tsumoreba – even, if it piles up |
| 山となる | yama to naru – becomes a mountain |
Where Does It Come From?
Even something as tiny as dust becomes a mountain if it keeps piling up.
The words are said to come from an old Buddhist text. In Japan, saving money little by little is even nicknamed chiri-tsumo savings!
A Word from Arasen
Even something as small as dust becomes as big as a mountain when it piles up.
Keep doing small things step by step, and one day you will achieve something big – that’s the meaning.
Even strength training: keep it up for 365 days, and you can go from squishy to muscly!
So never look down on small things.
On the other hand, if you keep doing something bad thinking “this little bit is nothing,” you could end up with a huge failure. Be careful!
One last fun fact: saving a little money at a time is sometimes called “chiri-tsumo savings.”
(Translated from Arasen’s original Japanese.)
How to Use It
A Short Skit
Nozomi! You just ate chocolate! Aren’t you on a diet?
わぁ、のぞみお姉ちゃん！今、チョコ食べたやろ！ダイエット中じゃなかったっけ？Yusuke, I’m on a diet, so I’m only eating tiny, tiny chocolates. Tiny ones are fine.
勇介、ダイエット中だから、小さな小さなチョコを食べてるのよ。こんな小さなチョコなら大丈夫なの。Nozomi, you’ve eaten lots of them! Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru!
のぞみお姉ちゃん。小さなチョコでも、結局何個も食べてるやん。ちりも積もれば山となる、やで。“Chan-chan” is the little “ta-da!” sound that closes a comedy skit in Japan.
Example Sentences
- I saved 10 yen every day, and in a year I had 3,650 yen. Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru.
毎日10円ずつ貯金したら、ちりも積もれば山となるで、一年で3650円になった。 - Even five English words a day – chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru.
一日5個の英単語でも、ちりも積もれば山となるだ。
Similar Japanese Proverbs
- 雨垂れ石を穿つAmadare ishi o ugatsu
“Raindrops wear through stone.” Patient, steady effort can do great things.
Similar Sayings in English
- Many a little makes a mickle.
- Little by little, the bird builds its nest.
Around the world: “Drop by drop, a lake is made” (Turkey), and “Brooks make rivers” (France).
Quick Quiz
What is chiri (塵) in this proverb?
- A. Money
- B. Dust – something very tiny
- C. Stones
Show the answer
The answer is B. Dust. Even the tiniest things become big when they add up.
Watch the Lesson (in Japanese)
On my YouTube channel “Kyō kara tsukaeru kotowaza kōza” (Proverbs You Can Use from Today), I explain proverbs with short comedy skits. It’s in Japanese – a fun challenge for learners!
Free Worksheet for Teachers
Teaching Japanese? Download a free printable worksheet for this proverb – with the skit, a fill-in-the-blank, a quiz and a writing task (10 proverbs, A4, with answer key).
