ProverbPerseveranceItalian origin

Chi la dura la vince

Meaning: Whoever persists long enough wins in the end.

Literally: Whoever holds out wins

Example: “Ha chiesto il permesso per mesi e alla fine gliel'hanno dato: chi la dura la vince.” — He asked for the permit for months and finally got it: good things come to those who wait.

Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and 3 more languages

  • English: Good things come to those who wait
  • French: Tout vient à point à qui sait attendre (literally: Everything comes in time to those who know how to wait)
  • Spanish: La paciencia es la madre de la ciencia (literally: Patience is the mother of science)
  • Japanese: 果報は寝て待て (Kahō wa nete mate) (literally: Good fortune comes while sleeping and waiting)
  • German: Geduld bringt Rosen (literally: Patience brings roses)
  • Portuguese: Quem espera sempre alcança (literally: Whoever waits always gets there)
  • Arabic: الصبر مفتاح الفرج (Aṣ-ṣabr miftāḥ al-faraj) (literally: Patience is the key to relief)
  • Turkish: Sabreden derviş muradına ermiş (literally: The patient dervish got his wish)

Origin: Durarla (to hold out) and vincerla (to win out) both carry the vague la that Italian attaches to many idiomatic verbs, which gives the saying its jingle.

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