Common Italian expression
| Pronunciation | |
| Literal translation | Those who don’t take risks don’t eat |
| English translation | No pain no gain |
| Meaning | You need to take chances to achieve something |
Examples
| Se non rischi, non ottieni nulla. Chi non risica non rosica. | If you don’t risk, you get nothing. No pain, no gain. |
| La concorrenza sta rosicando per il nostro successo. | The competition is jealous of our success. |
Where does this idiom come from?
Since the verb risicare is a Tuscan variation of rischiare (to take risks), it’s no wonder that this proverb has its roots in Tuscany. It teaches us not to be afraid to try new things. We should not be afraid to step out of our comfort zone because it will prevent us from getting what we want. Unfortunately, many people trade happiness for security.
Rosicare also has another colloquial meaning: it means “to eat oneself out of anger or envy”.
Related lessons
- risicare (takes risks, from risicare, a Tuscanian variation of rischiare, to risk)
- rosicare (literally to nibble or to gnaw, but it means to eat here)
- chi (who)
- non (not)
More free Italian resources
You might want to keep learning Italian online with these free Italian resources:
Aiuta Lingookies con un 👍!
❤️ If you liked this lesson on the expression chi non risica non rosica, share it with your friends!