🧠 WISDOM · intermediate

🤖 Literally, in English

“To fear the wolf is not to go into the forest.”

Вовка боятися — в ліс не ходити. Vovka boyatysia — v lis ne khodyty

🤨 What does it ACTUALLY mean? →

🇬🇧 What you'd actually say

“If you're afraid of the risk, don't start at all.”

also: “You can't do anything without taking a risk.” · “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

📖 Meaning
You cannot achieve anything if you are unwilling to face the risks that come with it.
💡 Why it's funny
The literal grammar makes it sound like a definition rather than advice: being afraid of wolves is, apparently, the same thing as staying out of forests.
🧭 Closest English idiom
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
📝 Explanation
Said to encourage someone hesitating before a decision — a business, a move, a difficult conversation. Also said resignedly about a risk you have already accepted.

🧠 Learn

  • take a risk (phrase) — to do something that might fail — ризикувати “You have to take a risk sometimes.”
  • venture (verb) — to risk doing something — наважитися, ризикнути “He ventured everything on one deal.”

🗣 In context

Звісно, ризик є. Вовка боятися — в ліс не ходити.

Of course there's a risk. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

🎧 Hear the contrast

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Questions people ask

What does “To fear the wolf is not to go into the forest.” mean?

You cannot achieve anything if you are unwilling to face the risks that come with it.

How do you say «Вовка боятися — в ліс не ходити.» in English?

Naturally: “If you're afraid of the risk, don't start at all.”. The closest English idiom is “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”.

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