ProverbPerseverance
French origin
French originUn malheur ne vient jamais seul
Meaning: Misfortunes tend to come several at once.
Literally: A misfortune never comes alone
Example: “J'ai perdu mon portefeuille, puis j'ai raté le dernier train. Un malheur ne vient jamais seul.” — I lost my wallet, then missed the last train: misfortunes never come alone.
Equivalents in English, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, and 5 more languages
English: Misfortunes never come alone
Spanish: Las desgracias nunca vienen solas (literally: Misfortunes never come alone)
Japanese: 一難去ってまた一難 (Ichinan satte mata ichinan) (literally: One trouble leaves, and then another trouble)
German: Ein Unglück kommt selten allein (literally: A misfortune seldom comes alone)
Italian: Le disgrazie non vengono mai sole (literally: Misfortunes never come alone)
Portuguese: Uma desgraça nunca vem só (literally: A misfortune never comes alone)
Dutch: Een ongeluk komt zelden alleen (literally: A misfortune seldom comes alone)
Russian: Беда одна не ходит (Beda odna ne khodit) (literally: Trouble doesn't walk alone)
Polish: Nieszczęścia chodzą parami (literally: Misfortunes come in pairs)
Chinese: 祸不单行 (Huò bù dān xíng) (literally: Disasters never travel alone)
Origin: French makes it absolute, jamais (never), where German says selten, seldom: ein Unglück kommt selten allein.
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- Si six scies scient six cyprès, six cents scies scient six cents cyprès. An 's' / 'si' minefield.
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