learn to walk before you run
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Master basic skills before attempting more complex tasks.
Literally: acquire walking ability before running ability
Examples
She wanted to start a business, but her mentor told her to learn to walk before you run.
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed on English Wikiquote “English proverbs” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31). Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-08-01; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “learn to walk before you run” mean?
Master basic skills before attempting more complex tasks. Literally: acquire walking ability before running ability
Is “learn to walk before you run” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.