Meanings
- Wealth cannot be obtained without some effort; hence currency is not always available for a prospective purchase.
Money doesn't grow on trees — and even the paper for money isn't made of wood!
2005, Kathie Rechkemmer, I Want to Teach My Child about Money, page 282 more examples
Perhaps it was a Scotsman who, in response to an idea for lavish expenditure, first said "Money doesn't grow on trees".
1943, William Budington Duryee, Farming for security, page 187Today's money worries certainly should make it easier for parents to teach their children that money doesn't grow on trees.
1975, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, page 39Synonyms: there's no such thing as a free lunch
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbWealth cannot be obtained without some effort; hence currency is not always available for a prospective purchase.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 樹不生錢 /树不生钱, 一分耕耘，一分收穫 /一分耕耘
- 樹不生錢 /树不生钱 (shù bù shēng qián)wealth cannot be obtained without some effort
- 一分耕耘，一分收穫 /一分耕耘wealth cannot be obtained without some effort
- 一分收获 (yī fēn gēngyún, yī fēn shōuhuò)wealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Dutch het geld groeit me niet op de rug
- het geld groeit me niet op de rugwealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Estonian raha ei kasva puu otsas
- raha ei kasva puu otsaswealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Finnish raha ei kasva puussa
- raha ei kasva puussawealth cannot be obtained without some effort
French l'argent ne tombe pas du ciel, l'argent ne pousse pas dans les arbres
- l'argent ne tombe pas du cielwealth cannot be obtained without some effort
- l'argent ne pousse pas dans les arbreswealth cannot be obtained without some effort
German das Geld liegt nicht auf der Straße
- das Geld liegt nicht auf der Straßewealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Greek τα λεφτά δεν φυτρώνουν στα δέντρα
- τα λεφτά δεν φυτρώνουν στα δέντρα (ta leftá den fytrónoun sta déntra)wealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Hebrew כסף לא צומח על העצים
- כסף לא צומח על העציםwealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Hungarian nincs kolbászból fonva a kerítés
- nincs kolbászból fonva a kerítéswealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Icelandic peningar vaxa ekki á trjám
- peningar vaxa ekki á trjámwealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Italian i soldi non crescono sugli alberi
- i soldi non crescono sugli alberiwealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Japanese 木にお金は生えない
- 木にお金は生えない (ki ni o-kane ha haenai)wealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Lithuanian pinigai ant medžių neauga
- pinigai ant medžių neaugawealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Norwegian Bokmål penger vokser ikke på trær
- penger vokser ikke på trærwealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Polish pieniądze nie spadają z nieba
- pieniądze nie spadają z niebawealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Portuguese dinheiro não cresce em árvores
- dinheiro não cresce em árvoreswealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Romanian banii nu pică din cer
- banii nu pică din cerwealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Russian де́ньги не расту́т на дере́вьях
- де́ньги не расту́т на дере́вьях (dénʹgi ne rastút na derévʹjax)wealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Spanish el dinero no crece en los árboles
- el dinero no crece en los árboleswealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Swedish pengar växer inte på träd
- pengar växer inte på trädwealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Tamil பணம் மரங்களில் வளராது, பணம் மரத்தில் காய்க்காது
- பணம் மரங்களில் வளராது (paṇam maraṅkaḷil vaḷarātu)wealth cannot be obtained without some effort
- பணம் மரத்தில் காய்க்காது (paṇam marattil kāykkātu)wealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Thai เงินไม่ได้เติบโตบนต้นไม้
- เงินไม่ได้เติบโตบนต้นไม้wealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Turkish parasını sokakta bulmamak
- parasını sokakta bulmamakwealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Ukrainian гроші не ростуть на деревах
- гроші не ростуть на деревах (hroši ne rostutʹ na derevax)wealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Vietnamese tiền không mọc trên cây
- tiền không mọc trên câywealth cannot be obtained without some effort
Cite this entry
money doesn't grow on trees. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/money%20doesn't%20grow%20on%20trees
“money doesn't grow on trees.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/money%20doesn't%20grow%20on%20trees. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “money doesn't grow on trees,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/money%20doesn't%20grow%20on%20trees.
Source: money doesn't grow on trees on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.