If it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger

Japanese translation: 苦労は報われる。

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:If it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger
Japanese translation:苦労は報われる。
Entered by: KNielsen

02:31 Jan 12, 2006
English to Japanese translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
English term or phrase: If it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger
Any idea if there is a concise way to say this in Japanese? I tried a literal translation the other day and got a few puzzled looks :-)
KNielsen
Japan
Local time: 00:13
苦労は報われる。
Explanation:
死んだつもりで っていうのは、決心をして事に当たるというような意味だけど、what doesn't kill you... とは、ちょっと違いませんか?

What doesn't kill you... は、慰めの意味のほうが強いんじゃないかな?

I don't know how pros translate this, but that'll be my take.

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Note added at 1 hr 23 mins (2006-01-12 03:54:53 GMT)
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良薬、口に苦し。
苦労は成功の元。

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Note added at 1 hr 24 mins (2006-01-12 03:55:25 GMT)
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良薬、口に苦し。
苦労は成功の元。
Selected response from:

Shimpei Shimizu (X)
Local time: 11:13
Grading comment
Thank you so much everyone for your thoughtful answers, and my apologies for taking so long on this question. I think this answer is maybe the closest to what I was trying to get at, although your answers were all really helpful, and I must say enlightening too! Just when you think there ought to be an easy, straightforward translation, well...you realize oftentimes there just isn't. Thanks again!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1当たって砕けろ
Manako Ihaya
4 +1死んだつもりになれば、強くなれる
humbird
4人は傷つくと強くなるものなのだ
Nami Hirama
3殺されなければ強くなれる
Momoka (X)
2苦労は報われる。
Shimpei Shimizu (X)


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


43 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
if it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger
殺されなければ強くなれる


Explanation:
Found this in a Japanese site; hope it helps.
By the way, it reads: "korosarenakereba tsuyoku naru" (just in case).


    Reference: http://www.geocities.jp/meriball2004/
Momoka (X)
Local time: 00:13
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
if it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger
苦労は報われる。


Explanation:
死んだつもりで っていうのは、決心をして事に当たるというような意味だけど、what doesn't kill you... とは、ちょっと違いませんか?

What doesn't kill you... は、慰めの意味のほうが強いんじゃないかな?

I don't know how pros translate this, but that'll be my take.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 23 mins (2006-01-12 03:54:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

良薬、口に苦し。
苦労は成功の元。

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 24 mins (2006-01-12 03:55:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

良薬、口に苦し。
苦労は成功の元。

Shimpei Shimizu (X)
Local time: 11:13
Native speaker of: Japanese
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you so much everyone for your thoughtful answers, and my apologies for taking so long on this question. I think this answer is maybe the closest to what I was trying to get at, although your answers were all really helpful, and I must say enlightening too! Just when you think there ought to be an easy, straightforward translation, well...you realize oftentimes there just isn't. Thanks again!
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
if it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger
当たって砕けろ


Explanation:
I think others got the meaning wrong. This is what you say to someone when he/she is hesitant to take a risk. You're telling that person to go ahead and take the risk, see what happens, think positive! So a common Japanese saying for this is 当たって砕けろ (atatte kudakero)。This is how I would translate this phrase if I were translating a movie script. The Japanese audience would get it right away.

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Note added at 4 hrs 30 mins (2006-01-12 07:01:48 GMT)
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Hmmm, on more Googling, this saying is also used when urging someone to eat something that may be bad. In that case, there really wouldn't be a Japanese equivalent I can think of. (Do the Japanese ever encourage eating something that may be bad/strange? Do we need encouragement? Ha, ha...) Although I guess atatte kudakero could be a pun in very bad taste when you consider that atatte also means food poisoning and kudakeru is similar to kudasu, which means "the runs"....

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Note added at 4 hrs 39 mins (2006-01-12 07:10:35 GMT)
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OK, so it really depends on context. There also is an essay with this saying as the title, talking about the sufferings and struggles experienced during and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In that case, "これを生き延びれば、それだけ強くなる、てことだ" would be good.

Manako Ihaya
United States
Local time: 08:13
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  rivertimeconsul: it all depends on the context, but i think your interpretation is the nicest.
4 hrs
  -> Thanks!
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
if it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger
死んだつもりになれば、強くなれる


Explanation:
The first part is a twist of "if it doesn't kill you", namely instead of being killed (which is a strange notion in Japanese cultural setting -- thereby no direct way to translate).
As you see, my translation is more common and fits to Japanese psyche.
Don't ask me the derivation. This is a product of a writer's instinct (being a professional, published author of six books).
Besides, momoka-san's quoted site is not a work of a professional.
Remember, everybody (without proper credential) can put out website.

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Note added at 13 hrs 27 mins (2006-01-12 15:58:48 GMT)
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艱難汝を玉にす
Little adjustment and this is my second suggestion -- which is far better as I have given more thoughts about this.
The conclusion (in part) I arrived is that this age-old cliche 艱難汝を玉にすwould be the most suitable.
Although this expression, in my thinking, is almost equivalent of Western favorite mode of thinking 適者生存 (Survival of the fittest -- essentially what this means is "if it doesn't kill you, it will make you stronger").


humbird
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Can Altinbay: I like the second suggestion 艱難汝を玉にす
17 hrs
  -> Can-san, doumo ookini.

neutral  Maynard Hogg: "Adversity makes a man wise" is how http://www.geocities.jp/tomomi965/kotowaza03/03-14-10.html glosses 艱難汝を玉にす, but the meaning's close enough for me.
1 day 1 hr
  -> Yah, only you had survived the hardship, which is essentially what the asker's question is all about. Therefore your comment is more appropriate if you said "agree".
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2429 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
if it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger
人は傷つくと強くなるものなのだ


Explanation:
I just happened to come across the "unofficial but pretty good quality" Japanese translation of the song Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) by Kelly Clarkson. There is a part in the lyrics that goes "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger...", and the Japanese translation says "人は傷つくと強くなるものなんだ". I only changed なんだ to なのだ to sound less casual, but I'm pretty sure this is a very good translation. After reading all the suggestions on the Internet, this made the most sense to me.


    Reference: http://oyogetaiyakukun.blogspot.jp/2012/02/stronger-what-doe...
Nami Hirama
Japan
Local time: 00:13
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese, Native in EnglishEnglish
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