ProverbPerseverance
French origin
French originBien mal acquis ne profite jamais
Meaning: What is gained dishonestly brings no lasting good.
Literally: Ill-gotten goods never prosper
Example: “Il a escroqué ses clients et a tout perdu au casino. Bien mal acquis ne profite jamais.” — He swindled his clients and lost it all at the casino: ill-gotten gains never prosper.
Equivalents in English, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, and 4 more languages
English: Ill-gotten gains never prosper
Spanish: Bienes mal adquiridos a nadie han enriquecido (literally: Ill-acquired goods have enriched no one)
Japanese: 悪銭身につかず (Akusen mi ni tsukazu) (literally: Ill-gotten money does not stay with you)
German: Unrecht Gut gedeiht nicht (literally: Wrongfully gotten goods do not thrive)
Italian: La farina del diavolo va tutta in crusca (literally: The devil's flour all turns to bran)
Dutch: Gestolen goed gedijt niet (literally: Stolen goods don't thrive)
Polish: Kradzione nie tuczy (literally: Stolen food doesn't fatten)
Chinese: 悖入悖出 (Bèi rù bèi chū) (literally: Wrongly in, wrongly out)
Turkish: Haramın temeli olmaz (literally: Ill-gotten gain has no foundation)
Origin: The idea is biblical: the Book of Proverbs says that treasures of wickedness profit nothing.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Courir sur le haricot To get badly on someone's nerves.
- Tu as du chien You have a certain irresistible magnetism — a je-ne-sais-quoi that draws people in.
- Tu as la tête sur les épaules You're grounded, sensible, and dependable — not easily swept off course.
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