Fortune knocks once at least at every man's gate.

The proverb presents good fortune as an opportunity that eventually reaches everyone. Fortune is pictured as a visitor knocking at each person’s gate at least once.

The knocking image makes an opportunity something to notice and answer. The saying offers encouragement to recognize a favorable opening, rather than evidence that everyone receives the same opportunities or that a chance can occur only once.

Use it to encourage someone to recognize and respond to a favorable opportunity. Its claim that fortune reaches everyone is the proverb’s optimistic outlook, rather than a guarantee about a person’s future.