ProverbChallengeGerman origin

Wer nicht wagt, der nicht gewinnt

Meaning: You have to take a risk to gain anything.

Literally: He who does not dare does not win

Example: “Bewirb dich ruhig auf die Stelle – wer nicht wagt, der nicht gewinnt.” — Go ahead and apply for the job: nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, and 5 more languages

  • English: Nothing ventured, nothing gained
  • 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)
  • 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)

Origin: The German twin of nothing ventured, nothing gained. A shorter form, wer wagt, gewinnt (who dares, wins), says the same thing from the other side.

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