行百里者半九十

1. • lit. ninety li is merely a half of a hundred li journey (idiom)
2. • fig. the closer one is to completing a task, the tougher it gets
3. • a task is not done until it's done

Character by character

• 行(xíng)go
• 百(bǎi)surname Bai
• 里(lǐ)lining
• 者(zhě)(after a verb or adjective) one who (is) ...
• 半(bàn)half
• 九(jiǔ)nine
• 十(shí)ten