ProverbChallenge
Italian origin
Italian originChi non risica non rosica
Meaning: If you don't take risks, you won't gain anything.
Literally: Whoever doesn't risk doesn't nibble
Example: “Apri il tuo ristorante: chi non risica non rosica.” — Open your restaurant: nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and 5 more languages
English: Nothing ventured, nothing gained
French: Qui ne risque rien n'a rien (literally: Who risks nothing has nothing)
Spanish: Quien no arriesga, no gana (literally: Who doesn't risk, doesn't win)
Japanese: 虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず (Koketsu ni irazunba koji wo ezu) (literally: Without entering the tiger's den, you cannot get the tiger's cub)
German: Wer nicht wagt, der nicht gewinnt (literally: He who does not dare does not win)
Portuguese: Quem não arrisca não petisca (literally: Whoever doesn't risk doesn't snack)
Dutch: Wie niet waagt, wie niet wint (literally: Who doesn't dare doesn't win)
Chinese: 不入虎穴，焉得虎子 (Bú rù hǔxué, yān dé hǔzǐ) (literally: If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you get its cub?)
Korean: 호랑이 굴에 가야 호랑이 새끼를 잡는다 (Horangi gure gaya horangi saekkireul jamneunda) (literally: You must go into the tiger's den to catch the tiger cub)
Turkish: Korkak bezirgân ne kâr eder ne zarar (literally: A timid merchant makes neither profit nor loss)
Origin: Risicare is an old form of rischiare, to risk, and rosicare means to nibble: no risk, nothing to nibble on. The near-rhyme does the rest.
Explore another collection: Idioms
Colorful expressions from dozens of languages, with their word-for-word translations.
- Prendere lucciole per lanterne To be completely and badly mistaken.
- Rimanere in mutande To be left penniless.
- Tutto fa brodo Every little bit helps.
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