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Blood, sweat, and tears

Meaning: Great achievement requires immense effort and sacrifice.

Origin: Popularized by Winston Churchill's 1940 speech.

Translations

  • French: Du sang, de la sueur et des larmes (literally: Blood, sweat, and tears)
  • Spanish: Sangre, sudor y lágrimas (literally: Blood, sweat, and tears)
  • Japanese: 血と汗と涙 (Chi to ase to namida) (literally: Blood and sweat and tears)

More proverbs about Perseverance

  • The first step is the hardest — Starting something new requires the most courage.
  • Patience is a virtue — The ability to wait calmly is a valuable quality.
  • A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor — Hardship and challenges are what build true expertise and resilience.
  • Dripping water hollows out stone — Persistent small efforts accomplish what force alone cannot.
  • The ox is slow, but the earth is patient — Steady, unhurried work in harmony with natural rhythms eventually yields abundance.
  • The cat that always cries catches no mice — Complaining and making noise accomplishes nothing; quiet, focused effort gets results.

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