ProverbChallengeSpanish origin

El que algo quiere, algo le cuesta

Meaning: Anything worth having costs effort or sacrifice.

Literally: Whoever wants something must pay something for it

Example: “Entrenar a las seis de la mañana es duro, pero el que algo quiere, algo le cuesta.” — Training at six in the morning is hard, but no pain, no gain.

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

  • English: No pain, no gain
  • French: On n'a rien sans rien (literally: You get nothing without nothing)
  • Japanese: 苦あれば楽あり (Ku areba raku ari) (literally: If there is suffering, there is ease)
  • German: Ohne Fleiß kein Preis (literally: Without diligence, no prize)
  • Russian: Без труда не вынешь и рыбку из пруда (Bez truda ne vynesh' i rybku iz pruda) (literally: Without effort you can't even pull a fish from the pond)
  • Polish: Bez pracy nie ma kołaczy (literally: No work, no cakes)
  • Arabic: من جد وجد (Man jadda wajada) (literally: Whoever strives, finds)
  • Turkish: Emek olmadan yemek olmaz (literally: Without toil there's no food)

Origin: The two halves mirror each other, algo quiere, algo le cuesta: wanting something and paying for it come together.

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