虎こ穴けつに入いらずんば虎こ子じを得えず

also: こけつにいらずんばこしをえず

Meanings

expression

proverb

A proverb meaning that without taking risks, you cannot achieve great rewards. The literal image is that you cannot capture a tiger cub without entering the tiger's den.

新あたらしい事じ業ぎょうを始はじめるのは怖こわいが、虎こ穴けつに入いらずんば虎こ子じを得えずだ。
Starting a new business is scary, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.
彼かれは虎こ穴けつに入いらずんば虎こ子じを得えずの精せい神しんで、危き険けんな投とう資しに挑いどんだ。
With a 'nothing ventured, nothing gained' spirit, he took on a risky investment.

Written forms

虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず
- こけつにいらずんばこじをえず
  Standard kanji form of the proverb.
- こけつにいらずんばこしをえず
  Alternate reading こし for 虎子; restricted to this kanji form and rarely used.
虎こ穴けつに入いらずんば虎こ児じを得えず
Variant kanji form using 児 instead of 子; less common but recognized.
こけつにいらずんばこしをえず

Kanji

虎tiger, drunkard
穴hole, aperture, slit
入enter, insert
子child, sign of the rat, 11PM-1AM
得gain, get, find
児newborn babe, child, young of animals

Similar words

当あたって砕くだけろ
A more colloquial and direct expression meaning 'go for it even if you might fail,' while 虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず is a formal proverb emphasizing risk and reward.

Etymology

A Japanese rendering of a Chinese proverb from the Book of the Later Han, attributed to the general Ban Chao. The literal meaning is 'if you do not enter the tiger's den, you will not get the tiger cub.'