do not grow on trees
- idiom
- Informal
:
no caen del cielo
- Money does not grow on trees!
Examples
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She reminded her children that patience doesn't grow on trees.
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"When planning your budget, keep in mind that opportunities don't grow on trees."
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Remember, good jobs do not grow on trees these days.
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You should be careful with your money; it doesn't grow on trees.
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"I know you want the latest phone, but remember, money doesn't grow on trees."
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"She told him that good jobs don't grow on trees, so he should work hard to find one."
Synonyms
103
4.8
Not enough of something for people who need it
1
7.7
Very rare and hard to get
Something that is very hard to find
Antonyms
How Common
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally negates the idea that something (e.g., money) is produced abundantly by trees, so a learner who knows 'grow', 'on', and 'trees' can infer scarcity or that the item is not easily obtained. This metaphorical comparison is straightforward and common across many languages, making the expression readily comprehensible to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.
Etymology
Do not grow on trees comes from the image of things like money or good jobs not growing on trees the way fruit does. Parents would say 'money doesn't grow on trees' to teach children that these things are not free or 'not easy to get', so the phrase now means 'not easy to get'.