Such a beginning, such an end.

The way something starts may be reflected in how it finishes. A promising or troubled beginning can foreshadow a similar outcome.

The proverb also draws attention to first steps: early choices and habits can influence what follows, even though they do not guarantee a particular ending.

Use it when an outcome seems to echo the way an undertaking began, or to urge care at the outset. It expresses a possible pattern, not a certainty that the ending is fixed from the start.