ProverbChallenge
English origin
English originTake the will for the deed.
Meaning: Accept someone's sincere effort or intention as equivalent to successful completion when circumstances prevent actual results.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, and Japanese
French: L’intention est réputée pour le fait (literally: The will is taken for the deed)
Spanish: Lo que cuenta es la intención (literally: What counts is the intention)
Japanese: 気は心 (Ki wa kokoro) (literally: The feeling is the heart (a small gesture conveys sincere intent))
Explore another collection: Idioms
Colorful expressions from dozens of languages, with their word-for-word translations.
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