expression, i-adjective
turn everything to profit; never miss a chance to gain
Proverb describing a person who always finds a way to benefit from any situation, even a mishap. Literally 'even when falling down, one doesn't get up empty-handed.' Often used with a critical or wry tone about someone's relentless opportunism.
See also: 転んでもただでは起きない
He's a man who turns everything to profit; even from failure he always gains something.
あの社長は転んでもただは起きないと言われるほど、どんな取引でも利益を出す。
That company president is said to never miss a chance to profit, making gains in every deal.
Describes a person who is shrewd, tough, or calculating, often with a similar nuance of resourcefulness, but したたか is an adjective/adverb, not a set phrase.
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling for this proverb.
Variant using the kanji 只 for ただ; less common but still seen.
A Japanese proverb. The literal meaning is 'even if (you) fall down, (you) don't get up for nothing,' implying that a resourceful person will seize some advantage even from a mishap. The exact origin is uncertain, but it reflects a common folk observation about opportunistic behavior.