ProverbWisdomSpanish origin

Dios aprieta pero no ahoga

Meaning: Hard times may press you hard, but you are never given more than you can bear.

Literally: God squeezes but does not choke

Example: “Perdí el trabajo, pero me salió otro a la semana. Dios aprieta pero no ahoga.” — I lost my job but found another within a week: God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb.

Equivalents in English, French, Italian, and Portuguese

  • English: God tempers the wind to the shorn sheep.
  • French: À brebis tondue, Dieu mesure le vent (literally: To the shorn sheep, God measures the wind)
  • Italian: Dio manda il freddo secondo i panni (literally: God sends the cold according to the clothes)
  • Portuguese: Deus dá o frio conforme a roupa (literally: God gives the cold according to the clothing)

Origin: The image is of a grip that tightens without ever cutting off the breath.

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