| Russian | English |
| было не зря | wasn't for nothing (Though technically a failure, the Vivaldi brothers’ doomed journey wasn’t for nothing. The mistakes they made helped lay the foundation for more successful voyages down the road. • "... всё на свете было не зря, не напрасно было" (Леонид Дербенёв)  mentalfloss.com ART Vancouver) |
| не зря | for a purpose (Anyway, I forgot my passport, so I had to turn back and I missed the flight. And you know what happened to everyone on board. You call it a coincidence but I believe these things are sent to us for a purpose. ART Vancouver) |
| не зря | for a reason (I mean, it is called the Last Frontier for a reason. • Get yourself an umbrella and a rain coat... the city is called Raincouver for a reason. ART Vancouver) |
