Dicho español · Spanish proverb
«El que algo quiere, algo le cuesta.»
Word for word
He who wants something, it costs him something.
What it really means
The closest English equivalent: Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Used to remind someone that achieving goals requires sacrifice, effort or investment. Very common when encouraging persistence.
Hear it in a sentence
Si quieres ese ascenso, tendrás que esforzarte más; el que algo quiere, algo le cuesta.
If you want that promotion, you'll have to work harder; nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Why learn dichos?
Proverbs like this one are everywhere in spoken Spanish — dropped mid-conversation, usually just the first half, with the rest left for you to complete. Recognizing them is one of the fastest ways to sound less like a textbook and follow real speech. Every Lingocito edition signs off with the dicho del día, so you meet one a day next to news written at your exact level.