Unlike English, where we separate each word with a space (like what you see here), spaces are used sparingly in Asian languages like Chinese and Japanese. This sometimes pose an issue when it comes to interpretation.

Like this Chinese idiom

船到桥头自然直

(chuán dào qiáo tóu zìrán zhí)

Where

船 refers to boat;

到 – means arrive or “arrive at”:

桥 – refers to a bridge;

头- head;

自然- an adverb “naturally”;

直 – straight.

So depending on where you think the break in the sentence is, the meaning alters slightly.

A) Assuming that there is only one break.

Example 1:

船 到桥头自然直

The boat, when it arrives at the head of the bridge, naturally straightens.

Example 2:

船到 桥头自然直

When the boat arrives, the head of the bridge naturally straightens.

Example 3:

船到桥 头自然直

The boat arrives at the bridge, the head (whose?) naturally straightens.

Example 4:

船到桥头 自然直

The boat arrives at the head of the bridge, (something but not sure what) naturally straightens.

B) Assuming that there are two breaks.

Example 1:

船 到桥 头自然直

The boat, when it arrives at the bridge, the head naturally straightens.

Example 2:

船 到桥头自然 直

The boat, when it arrives naturally at the head of the bridge, straightens.

Obviously, this can get quite confusing. By the way, in case you are not aware, the standard translation for this idiom is that “all will be well in the end”.