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Definition 2024

business_before_pleasure

business before pleasure

English

Proverb

business before pleasure

An admonishment that 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: 事業在先，享受在後, 事业在先，享受在后 ‎(shìyè zàixiān, xiǎngshòu zàihòu)
Czech: nejdřív povinnost, potom zábava
Finnish: ensin työ, sitten leikki
German: erst die Arbeit, dann das Vergnügen
Japanese: 花より団子 (ja) ‎(はなよりだんご, hana-yori dango) (dumplings rather than flowers)

Korean: 꽃보다 경단 ‎(kkot-boda gyeongdan)
Polish: najpierw obowiązek, potem przyjemność
Russian: ко́нчил де́ло — гуля́й сме́ло ‎(kónčil délo — guljáj smélo) (finished business - play bravely), де́лу — вре́мя, поте́хе — час ‎(délu — vrémja, potéxe — čas)
Slovene: najprej delo, potem jelo

See also