諺語 · a single proverb
沒有不勞而獲
Simplified: 没有不劳而获
What does 沒有不勞而獲 (méi yǒu bù láo ér huò) mean?
沒有不勞而獲 (méi yǒu bù láo ér huò) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "there is no getting without working." In use it means: Nothing comes without effort; there is no free lunch. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Horse.
Literally: "there is no getting without working."
The reading
The harvest that arrives without the planting is called theft. Everything has a cost, and the cost that was not paid in effort was paid in something else: integrity, opportunity, or the development that the work itself would have produced. The shortcut deposits you somewhere, but not at the destination of the full effort.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk proverb
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wealth, Work & Diligence, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 沒有不勞而獲 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 沒有不勞而獲 (méi yǒu bù láo ér huò) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk proverb. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 沒有不勞而獲?
In Mandarin it is méi yǒu bù láo ér huò. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 沒有不勞而獲 aloud in Mandarin.