Rome wasn't built in a day

Meaning: Great things take time and patience.

Origin: Medieval French proverb, dating to the 12th century.

Translations

• French: Rome ne s'est pas faite en un jour (literally: Rome was not made in a day)
• Spanish: Roma no se construyó en un día (literally: Rome was not built in a day)
• Japanese: ローマは一日にして成らず (Rōma wa ichinichi ni shite narazu) (literally: Rome was not built in one day)

More proverbs about Perseverance

• The early bird catches the worm — Those who act first gain advantage.
• Better late than never — Doing something late is better than not doing it at all.
• Slow and steady wins the race — Consistency and patience lead to success.
• Good things come to those who wait — Patience is rewarded.
• In for a penny, in for a pound — Once committed to something, go all the way with it.
• The ends of the earth — Going to any length for something or someone.

← Back to Proverbs

Loading the full interactive collection…