羊毛出在羊身上
yáng​máo​chū​zài​yáng​shēn​shang

no free lunch

  • created sense approved 羊毛出在羊身上 · yáng​máo​chū​zài​yáng​shēn​shang · no free lunch — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    羊毛出在羊身上

    yáng​máo​chū​zài​yáng​shēn​shang

    no free lunch

    literally meaning "wool comes from the sheep's back"; used to describe situations where a benefit or gift one receives is actually paid for by oneself in the end

    yáng​máo​chū​zài​yáng​shēn​shàng

    羊毛 (literal) → 羊毛 · yáng​máo · wool 出 (literal) → 出 · chū · to go out 在 (literal) → 在 · zài · [location/time] 羊 (literal) → 羊 · yáng · sheep 身上 (literal) → 身上 · shēn​shang · [responsibility]

    Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

    created sense