How do you say “No pain, no gain” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is Ohne Fleiß kein Preis, which literally means “Without diligence, no prize”. English speakers use no pain, no gain to mean you must suffer some difficulty or work very hard if you want to achieve success or make progress. This is the classic German rhyming proverb expressing that effort leads to reward. It is universally understood across all generations. It is neutral, informal and common in everyday German.
Closest natural German
Ohne Fleiß kein Preis
ˈoːnə flaɪ̯s kaɪ̯n pʁaɪ̯s
- Literal meaning
- “Without diligence, no prize”
- Register
- neutral, informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
90 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
While "No pain, no gain" highlights the discomfort and physical suffering required to make progress, the traditional German equivalent "Ohne Fleiß kein Preis" leans toward traditional virtues, framing effort as diligence (*Fleiß*) and the payoff as a reward (*Preis*). Both share a punchy, rhyming structure that makes them catchy and universally recognized proverbs.
Because "Ohne Fleiß kein Preis" can sometimes sound slightly old-fashioned or parental, Germans in athletic settings often modify it to "Ohne Schweiß kein Preis" (no sweat, no prize) or reach for "Von nichts kommt nichts". In modern gym culture, younger native speakers also frequently use the English phrase untranslated.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity3 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in German?
Von nichts kommt nichts
Literally: “From nothing comes nothing”
Extremely common in informal daily speech; emphasizes that results require input.
Ohne Schweiß kein Preis
Literally: “Without sweat, no prize”
A popular humorous variation, particularly common in athletic and fitness contexts.
Don't translate it literally
Kein Schmerz, kein Gewinn
This is a clumsy, word-for-word calque from English that sounds like bad subtitle translation.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in German, not as expressions.
In context
English
I know studying two hours every night is tough, but no pain, no gain.
German
Ich weiß, jeden Abend zwei Stunden zu lernen ist hart, aber ohne Fleiß kein Preis.
English
My muscles are completely sore, but hey, no pain, no gain!
German
Meine Muskeln brennen total, aber hey: Ohne Fleiß kein Preis!
Related expressions
Last reviewed 2026-09-11