ProverbChallenge
English originc. 1385
English originc. 1385Nothing ventured, nothing gained
Meaning: You must take risks to achieve rewards.
Origin: Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde (c. 1385) has the thought that whoever undertakes nothing achieves nothing, and John Heywood's 1546 collection gives the blunter "Nought venture, nought have." The present wording is later, but it remains the classic encouragement to take a chance.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, and 5 more languages
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)
Italian: Chi non risica non rosica (literally: Whoever doesn't risk doesn't nibble)
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)
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