business before pleasure

English

Proverb

business before pleasure

1. Discharging one's obligations must take precedence over devoting time to pursuits meant solely for one's own gratification.

Translations

discharging one's obligations should come before one's own gratification

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 先工作後玩樂／先工作后玩乐 (xiān gōngzuò hòu wánlè)

• Czech: nejdřív povinnost, potom zábava
• Dutch: zaken gaan voor plezier
• Estonian: enne töö siis lõbu
• Finnish: ensin työ, sitten leikki, ensin työ, sitten huvi
• German: erst die Arbeit, dann das Vergnügen
• Hebrew: עסקים קודמים להנאה, עסקים קודמים לשעשועים, עסקים קודמים לבילויים
• Japanese: 花より団子 (ja) (はなよりだんご, hana-yori dango, literally “dumplings rather than flowers”)
• Korean: 꽃보다 경단 (kkotboda gyeongdan)
• Polish: służba nie drużba (pl)
• Russian: ко́нчил де́ло — гуля́й сме́ло (kónčil délo — guljáj smélo, literally “finished business, play bravely”), де́лу — вре́мя, поте́хе — час (délu — vrémja, potéxe — čas)
• Slovene: najprej delo, potem jelo
• Spanish: primero el deber y después el placer
• Swedish: nytta före nöje, plikten först, nöjet sedan

See also

• mix business with pleasure
• age before beauty
• pearls before swine