Meanings
alternative spare the rod, spoil the child · alternative spare the rod and you will spoil the child
- If one does not discipline a child, they will never learn obedience and good manners.
Origin
Commonly claimed to have come from the King James Version of the Bible, Book of Proverbs, 13:24: “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” Due to the associated “spoil" concept which is not in the Bible, it more likely came from a 17th-century poem by Samuel Butler called Hudibras. In the poem, a love affair is likened to a child, and spanking is mockingly commended as a way to make the love grow stronger. The actual verse reads: : What medicine else can cure the fits Of lovers when they lose their wits? Love is a boy by poets styled Then spare the rod and spoil the child.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ὃς φείδεται τῆς βακτηρίας μισεῖ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, ὁ δὲ ἀγαπῶν ἐπιμελῶς παιδεύει
- ὃς φείδεται τῆς βακτηρίας μισεῖ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, ὁ δὲ ἀγαπῶν ἐπιμελῶς παιδεύει (hòs pheídetai tês baktērías miseî tòn huiòn autoû, ho dè agapôn epimelôs paideúei)if one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Chinese Mandarin 不打不成器, 省了棍子，慣壞了孩子 /省了棍子
- 不打不成器 (bù dǎ bù chéng qì)if one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
- 省了棍子，慣壞了孩子 /省了棍子if one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
- 惯坏了孩子 (shěng le gùnzi, guànhuài le háizi)if one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
- 三天不打，上房揭瓦 (sāntiānbùdǎ, shàngfángjiēwǎ)if one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Danish den man elsker, tugter man
- den man elsker, tugter manif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Dutch zachte heelmeesters, stinkende wonden
- zachte heelmeesters, stinkende wondenif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Esperanto amo kaj puno loĝas komune
- amo kaj puno loĝas komuneif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Finnish joka vitsaa säästää, se lastaan vihaa
- joka vitsaa säästää, se lastaan vihaaif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
French qui aime bien, châtie bien
- qui aime bien, châtie bienif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
German wer mit der Rute spart, verzieht das Kind, wer sein Kind liebt, der schlägt es
- wer mit der Rute spart, verzieht das Kindif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
- wer sein Kind liebt, der schlägt esif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Greek όποιος αγαπά, τιμωρεί
- όποιος αγαπά, τιμωρεί (ópoios agapá, timoreí)if one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Hebrew חוֹשֵׂךְ שִׁבְטוֹ, שׂוֹנֵא בְנוֹ
- חוֹשֵׂךְ שִׁבְטוֹ, שׂוֹנֵא בְנוֹ (khosékh shivtó soné b'no)if one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Hungarian néha jól jön egy jól irányzott pofon, elkel néha egy jól irányzott pofon
- néha jól jön egy jól irányzott pofonif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
- elkel néha egy jól irányzott pofonif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Italian chi ama bene, castiga bene
- chi ama bene, castiga beneif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Japanese 可愛い子には旅をさせよ, 獅子の子落とし
- 可愛い子には旅をさせよ (kawaii ko ni wa tabi o sase yo)if one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
- 獅子の子落とし (shishi no ko otoshi)if one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Korean 고운 자식 매로 키운다
- 고운 자식 매로 키운다 (goun jasik maero kiunda)if one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Latin quī bene amat, bene castīgat
- quī bene amat, bene castīgatif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Polish dzieci trzeba trzymać krótko
- dzieci trzeba trzymać krótkoif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Portuguese quem ama, castiga
- quem ama, castigaif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Spanish escatima el palo y malcría al hijo, quien bien te quiere, te hará llorar
- escatima el palo y malcría al hijoif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
- quien bien te quiere, te hará llorarif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
- la letra con sangre entraif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Swedish den man älskar, agar man, aga din son medan han är liten, annars agar han dig när han blir stor
- den man älskar, agar manif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
- aga din son medan han är liten, annars agar han dig när han blir storif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Turkish insan sevdiğine takılırmış
- insan sevdiğine takılırmışif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Vietnamese cá không ăn muối cá ươn, thương cho roi cho vọt, ghét cho ngọt cho bùi
- cá không ăn muối cá ươnif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
- thương cho roi cho vọt, ghét cho ngọt cho bùiif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
- thương cho roi cho vọtif one does not discipline a child he or she will never learn respect or humility
Cite this entry
spare the rod and spoil the child. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spare%20the%20rod%20and%20spoil%20the%20child
“spare the rod and spoil the child.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spare%20the%20rod%20and%20spoil%20the%20child. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spare the rod and spoil the child,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spare%20the%20rod%20and%20spoil%20the%20child.
Source: spare the rod and spoil the child on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.