Quando um não quer, dois não brigam

Meaning: A quarrel needs two willing sides; one person can always refuse it.

Literally: When one doesn't want to, two don't fight

Example: “Não respondas às provocações dele. Quando um não quer, dois não brigam.” — Don't respond to his provocations: it takes two to tango.

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

English: It takes two to tango
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)
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)

Origin: Spanish has the same logic: dos no pelean si uno no quiere.

Colorful expressions from dozens of languages, with their word-for-word translations.

vaca sagrada Something so valued or protected that it cannot be criticized, changed, or harmed.
morrer de rir To laugh very hard or uproariously.
descer a lenha To harshly criticize or scold someone severely.

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