ProverbHuman NaturePortuguese origin

É difícil agradar a gregos e troianos

Meaning: You can't satisfy both sides of a dispute.

Literally: It's hard to please both Greeks and Trojans

Example: “O árbitro nunca vai agradar a todos. É difícil agradar a gregos e troianos.” — The referee will never please everybody: you can't please everyone.

Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, and 2 more languages

  • English: You can't please everyone
  • French: On ne peut pas plaire à tout le monde (literally: You can't please everyone)
  • Spanish: No se puede complacer a todos (literally: You can't please everyone)
  • German: Allen Leuten recht getan, ist eine Kunst, die niemand kann (literally: To do right by all people is an art that no one can manage)
  • Italian: Non si può piacere a tutti (literally: You can't please everyone)
  • Polish: Jeszcze się taki nie urodził, co by wszystkim dogodził (literally: The one who could please everybody hasn't been born yet)
  • Chinese: 众口难调 (Zhòng kǒu nán tiáo) (literally: Many mouths are hard to season for)

Origin: Pleasing both Greeks and Trojans, enemies in the Trojan War, is beyond anyone.

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