ProverbCommunication
American origin1952
American origin1952It takes two to tango
Meaning: Both parties are responsible in a conflict.
Who said it? Al Hoffman and Dick Manning, the song “Takes Two to Tango”, 1952
Origin: From the 1952 song "Takes Two to Tango," written by Al Hoffman and Dick Manning and recorded by Pearl Bailey. The tango cannot be danced alone, and the phrase came to mean that both parties share responsibility for a quarrel or a deal.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Portuguese, and 2 more languages
French: Il faut être deux pour danser le tango (literally: It takes two to dance the tango)
Spanish: Dos no pelean si uno no quiere (literally: Two don't fight if one doesn't want to)
Japanese: 喧嘩両成敗 (Kenka ryōseibai) (literally: In a quarrel, both sides are punished)
German: Zum Streiten gehören immer zwei (literally: It always takes two to quarrel)
Portuguese: Quando um não quer, dois não brigam (literally: When one doesn't want to, two don't fight)
Dutch: Als er twee kijven, hebben ze beide schuld (literally: When two quarrel, both are to blame)
Chinese: 一个巴掌拍不响 (Yí gè bāzhang pāi bù xiǎng) (literally: One palm alone can't clap)
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