he who laughs last laughs best

English

Alternative forms

he laughs best that laughs last, he who laughs last laughs hardest

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /ˈhiː huː ˈlɑːfs ˈlɑːst ˈlɑːfs ˈbɛst/
(US) IPA^(key): /ˈhi hu ˈlæfs ˈlæst ˈlæfs ˈbɛst/

Proverb

he who laughs last laughs best

Success is enjoyed more after having previously endured ridicule.

Related terms

have the last laugh

Translations

success is better after you've endured ridicule

Afrikaans: wie die laaste lag, lag die lekkerste, wie laaste lag, lag die lekkerste
Arabic: يَضْحَكُ كَثِيرًا مَن يَضْحَكُ أَخِيرًا (yaḍḥaku kaṯīran man yaḍḥaku ʔaḵīran)
Bulgarian: който се смее последен, се смее най-добре (kojto se smee posleden, se smee naj-dobre)
Czech: kdo se směje naposled, ten se směje nejlíp
Danish: den der ler sidst, ler bedst (da)
Dutch: wie het laatst lacht, lacht het best (nl), wie laatst lacht, best lacht
Esperanto: plej bone ridas, kiu laste ridas
Finnish: joka viimeksi nauraa, se parhaiten nauraa
French: rira bien qui rira le dernier (fr), tel qui rit vendredi, dimanche pleurera (fr)
German: wer zuletzt lacht, lacht am besten (de)
Greek: γελάει καλύτερα όποιος γελάει τελευταίος (geláei kalýtera ópoios geláei teleftaíos)
Hebrew: צוֹחֵק מִי שֶׁצּוֹחֵק אַחֲרוֹן (tsokhék mi shetsokhék akharón)
Italian: ride bene chi ride ultimo
Japanese: 最後に笑う者が最もよく笑う (さいごにわらうものがもっともよくわらう, saigo ni warau mono ga mottomo yoku warau)
Korean: 마지막에 웃는 자가 승자다 (majimage unneun jaga seungjada)
Lithuanian: juokiasi tas, kas juokiasi paskutinis
Luxembourgish: deen am leschte laacht, laacht am beschten
Macedonian: кој последен се смее, најслатко се смее (koj posleden se smee, najslatko se smee)
Norwegian: den som ler sist, ler best (no)
Persian: شاهنامه آخرش خوشه (šâhnâme âxareš xoš-e), شاهنامه آخرش خوش است (šâhnâme âxareš xoš ast)
Polish: ten się śmieje, kto się śmieje ostatni (pl)
Portuguese: quem ri por último ri melhor (pt), ri melhor quem ri por último, rirá melhor quem rirá por fim
Romanian: cine râde la urmă, râde mai bine
Russian: смеётся тот, кто смеётся после́дним (smejótsja tot, kto smejótsja poslédnim)
Slovene: kdor se zadnji smeje, se najslajše smeje, kdor se zadnji smeje, ima zamudo
Spanish: ríe bien el que ríe el último
Swedish: skrattar bäst som skrattar sist (sv)
Tagalog: nasa kanya ang huling halakhak
Turkish: son gülen iyi güler
Vietnamese: Cười người hôm trước, hôm sau người cười.

he who laughs last laughs best

English

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Proverb

Related terms

Translations

See also