Rome wasn't built in a day
Meaning: Great things take time and patience.
Origin: The medieval French collection Li Proverbe au Vilain (c. 1190) has "Rome ne fu pas faite toute en un jour." John Heywood's 1546 collection brought it into English. Great achievements take time.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- 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)
- German: Rom wurde nicht an einem Tag erbaut (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.
- Every dog has its day — Everyone will have their moment of success or good fortune.
From our untranslatable words
- Râler — To complain and grumble with a certain national flair — a beloved French pastime.
- Mono no aware — A bittersweet awareness of impermanence — the gentle sadness and appreciation that arise…
- Ikigai — The thing that makes you want to get out of bed — the intersection of what you love, what…