no pain, no gain

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Came into prominence around 1982 through the American actress Jane Fonda's aerobic workout videos.(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

Audio (AU) (file)

Proverb

no pain, no gain

One must be willing to endure some inconvenience or discomfort in order to achieve worthwhile goals.

Usage notes

Phrases with the same construction are common and productive. See the related terms below.

Synonyms

(one must endure inconvenience): nothing ventured, nothing gained; no guts, no glory

Translations

discomfort is necessary to achieve goals

Arabic: مَنْ طَلَبَ الْعُلَى سَهِرَ اللَّيَالِي (man ṭalaba l-ʕulā sahira l-layālī, literally “who wants to reach the heights, stays awake at nights”), مَنْ جَدَّ وَجَدَ وَمَنْ زَرَعَ حَصَدَ (man jadda wajada waman zaraʕa ḥaṣada), مَنْ جَدَّ وَجَدَ وَمَنْ زَرَعَ حَصَدَ وَمَنْ سَارَ عَلَى ٱلدَّرْبِ وَصَلَ (man jadda wajada waman zaraʕa ḥaṣada waman sāra ʕalā d-darbi waṣala)
Bengali: কষ্ট না করলে কেষ্ট মিলে না (bn) (kośṭo na korle keśṭo mile na, literally “if one doesn’t go through trials, he/she cannot meet his/her Lord (Krishna)”)
Bulgarian: без мъка няма сполука (bez mǎka njama spoluka, literally “without effort there is no success”)
Burmese: အနာခံမှ အသာစံရ (a.nahkamhma. a.sacam-ra.)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 不入虎穴，焉得虎子 (zh) (bú rù hǔxué, yāndé hǔzǐ, literally “if you don't enter the tiger's den, how will you get the tiger's cub?”)
Czech: bez práce nejsou koláče (cs) (literally “there are no pies without work”)
Danish: hvo intet vover, intet vinder (literally “he who dares nothing wins nothing”), man skal yde før man kan nyde (literally “you have to make before you can enjoy”)
Dutch: voor iets hoort iets, wie niet waagt, die niet wint (literally “nothing ventured, nothing gained”), niet geschoten is altijd mis (literally “(a shot) not fired is always missed”), de kost gaat voor de baat uit (literally “costs go begore earnings”)
Esperanto: kiu ne riskas, tiu ne gajnas (literally “who doesn't risk, doesn't win”)
Estonian: kes kannatab, see kaua elab (literally “who suffers lives a long time”)
Finnish: vaikeuksien kautta voittoon (literally “through difficulties to the victory”), yrittänyttä ei laiteta (literally “who doesn't try doesn't set”)
French: qui ne risque rien n’a rien (fr) (literally “who risks nothing, gains nothing”), qui ne tente rien n’a rien (fr) (literally “who risks nothing, gains nothing”), on n’a rien sans rien (fr)
German: ohne Schweiß kein Preis (de) (literally “without sweat there's no reward”), ohne Fleiß kein Preis (de) (literally “without diligence there's no reward”), von nichts kommt nichts (literally “nothing comes from nothing”), wer nicht wagt, der nicht gewinnt (de) (literally “who doesn't risk, doesn't win”), Schmerz vergeht, die Ehre bleibt (literally “pain goes away, honour stays”), Schmerz vergeht, der Stolz bleibt (literally “pain goes away, pride stays”), Qualität kommt von Qual (literally “quality comes from agony”)
Greek: τα αγαθά κόποις κτώνται (el) (ta agathá kópois któntai, literally “good things come after works”), τα καλά κόποις κτώνται (el) (ta kalá kópois któntai, literally “good things come after works”)
Hebrew: הזורעים בדמעה, ברינה יקצורו (literally “those who sow in tears reap in joy”)
Hungarian: mindenért meg kell szenvedni, aki nem dolgozik, ne is egyék (hu) (literally “he who does not work, neither shall he eat”), aki mer, az nyer (hu) (literally “nothing ventured, nothing gained”)
Icelandic: enginn verður óbarinn biskup (is) (literally “nobody becomes bishop unbeaten”)
Indonesian: berakit-rakit ke hulu, berenang-renang ke tepian (literally “raft upstream, swim to the riverbank”)
Italian: per apparire bisogna soffrire (literally “to appear you must suffer”), chi non risica non rosica (literally “who doesn't risk doesn't gnaw”)
Japanese: 苦は楽の種 (くはらくのたね, ku wa raku no tane, literally “cares are the seeds of ease”), 虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず (ja) (こけつにいらずんばこじをえず, koketsu ni irazunba koji o ezu, literally “if you don't enter the tiger's den, how will you get the tiger's cub?”)
Kikuyu: gũota mwaki nĩ kũhuria (literally “to warm oneself is to stoke the fire”)
Korean: 불입호혈 부득호자 (buriphohyeol budeukhoja, literally “if you don't enter the tiger's den, how will you get the tiger's cub?”), 호혈호자 (hohyeolhoja, literally “if you don't enter the tiger's den, how will you get the tiger's cub?”), 고진감래 (ko) (gojin'gamnae)
Latin: quī arat olīvētum, rogat fructum (literally “he who plows the olive-yard, invites crops”), quī stercorat, exōrat (literally “he who mucks, prevails upon”), quī caedit, cōgit (literally “he who cuts to pieces, gathers”), sine labōre nōn erit pānis in ōre (literally “without effort there will be no bread in the mouth”), sine labōre nōn est pānis in ōre (literally “without effort there is no bread in the mouth”)
Norman: tchi s'tcheint à la preunmié broque né tchèrra janmais d'bein haut (literally “who get tired at the first hurdle will never reach the top”)
Norwegian: den som intet våger, intet vinner (literally “he who dares nothing wins nothing”)
Persian: هر که طاووس خواهد جور هندوستان کشد (har ke tâvus xâhad jowr-e hendustân kešad, literally “Whoever wants a peacock shall suffer the torments of India”), نابرده رنج گنج میسر نمی شود (literally “it is not possible to find a treasure without trouble”)
Polish: bez pracy nie ma kołaczy (pl) (literally “without work there are no kalaches”), bez zachodu nie ma miodu (pl) (literally “no west, no honey”), bez pracy nie ma macy (pl) (literally “no work, no power”), pieczone gołąbki nie lecą same do gąbki (pl) (literally “roasted pigeons do not fly in the mouth by themselves”), kto ma ręce do pracy, ten się naje kołaczy (pl) (literally “who has the hands to work, eats cakes”), żeby mieć kołaczy, trzeba użyć pracy (pl) (literally “to make cakes, you need to work”), kto nie ryzykuje, ten nie pije szampana (literally “who does not take risks will not drink champagne”)
Portuguese: sem esforço não dá (literally “with no effort, it doesn't work”), ter que ralar pra conseguir (literally “one must grind, hustle to get something”), sem dor, sem ganho (literally “no pain, no gain”), quem não arrisca não petisca (pt) (literally “who does not risk does not snack/eat”)
Russian: без труда́ не вы́тащишь и ры́бку из пруда́ (bez trudá ne výtaščišʹ i rýbku iz prudá, literally “without effort you cannot even pull a fish from the pond”), терпи́ каза́к, атама́ном бу́дешь (terpí kazák, atamánom búdešʹ, literally “bear this, Cossack, and you’ll be an ataman”), кто не риску́ет, тот не пьёт шампа́нское (kto ne riskújet, tot ne pʹjot šampánskoje, literally “who doesn't risk, doesn't drink champagne”) лес ру́бят — ще́пки летя́т (ru) (les rúbjat — ščépki letját, literally “once the wood is cut, the chips fly”), без труда́ не вы́тянешь и ры́бку из пруда́ (ru) (bez trudá ne výtjanešʹ i rýbku iz prudá, literally “you will not catch a fish out of pond without labor”), без труда́ не вы́ловишь и ры́бку из пруда́ (ru) (bez trudá ne výlovišʹ i rýbku iz prudá, literally “you will not catch a fish out of pond without labor”), нет бо́ли, нет побе́д (ru) (net bóli, net pobéd, literally “no pain, no gain”), кто не се́ет, тот не жнёт (kto ne séjet, tot ne žnjot, literally “who doesn't seed, doesn't reap”), любишь кататься, люби и саночки возить (ru) (ljubišʹ katatʹsja, ljubi i sanočki vozitʹ, literally “if you like to ride, you like to pull a sled”)
Scottish Gaelic: am fear nach dèan cur rè latha fuar, cha dèan e buain rè latha teth (literally “the man who doesn't plant during a cold day, he won't harvest during a hot day”), gheibh cearc an sgrìobain rudeigin, chan fhaigh cearc a' chrùbain dad idir (literally “the scratching chicken gets something, the squatting chicken gets nothing at all”), bonnach air bois, cha bhruich e is cha loisg (literally “a cake on the palm, it does not toast nor does it burn”)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: без муке нема науке (literally “no pain, no gain”)

Roman: bez muke nema nauke (literally “no pain, no gain”)
Slovak: bez práce nie sú koláče (literally “without work, no cakes”), kto nič nerobí, nič nepokazí (literally “who does nothing, breaks nothing”)
Slovene: brez muje se še čevelj ne obuje (literally “without spoiling one's shoe there is no gain”)
Spanish: sin dolor no hay ganancia (literally “no pain, no gain”), el que no arriesga no gana (literally “who does not risk does not win”), no hay atajo sin trabajo (literally “there is no shortcut without work”), perro que no camina, no encuentra hueso (literally “the dog who does not walk does not find a bone”), quien algo quiere, algo le cuesta (literally “who wants something, finds it hard to have it”), quien no se arriesga no pasa la mar (literally “who does not dare does not cross the sea”), el que quiera peces, que se moje el culo (literally “he who wants to catch fish must get his arse wet”), para presumir, hay que sufrir
Swedish: man måste satsa för att vinna (literally “you have to invest to win”), vill man vara fin, får man lida pin (literally “if you want to be pretty, you will have to suffer”), stekta sparvar flyger ej i munnen (literally “fried sparrows do not fly into the mouth”), friskt vågat, hälften vunnet (literally “boldly dared, half of it won”)
Telugu: ^{(please verify)} కష్టే ఫలి (kaṣṭē phali)
Turkish: emeksiz yemek olmaz (literally “you do not eat without labor”), korkak bezirgân ne kâr eder ne ziyan, emek olmadan yemek olmaz (literally “you do not eat without labor”)
Ukrainian: під лежачий камінь вода не тече (pid ležačyj kaminʹ voda ne teče)
Vietnamese: không vào hang cọp sao bắt được cọp con (literally “if you don't enter the tiger's den, how will you get the tiger's cub?”)
Vilamovian: wor ny at, gejt under dy ad (literally “he who does not work goes into the ground”)