ProverbWisdom
Chinese origin
Chinese origin三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮 (Sān gè chòu píjiàng, dǐng gè Zhūgě Liàng)
Meaning: Ordinary people who pool their ideas can match a genius.
Literally: Three humble cobblers equal one Zhuge Liang
Example: “这个问题我们一起商量吧，三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮。” — Let's work this problem out together: two heads are better than one.
Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and 6 more languages
English: Two heads are better than one
French: Deux têtes valent mieux qu'une (literally: Two heads are worth more than one)
Spanish: Dos cabezas piensan mejor que una (literally: Two heads think better than one)
Japanese: 三人寄れば文殊の知恵 (Sannin yoreba monju no chie) (literally: Three people together have the wisdom of Manjushri)
German: Vier Augen sehen mehr als zwei (literally: Four eyes see more than two)
Italian: Vedono più quattr'occhi che due (literally: Four eyes see more than two)
Portuguese: Duas cabeças pensam melhor do que uma (literally: Two heads think better than one)
Dutch: Twee weten meer dan één (literally: Two know more than one)
Russian: Одна голова хорошо, а две лучше (Odna golova khorosho, a dve luchshe) (literally: One head is good, two are better)
Polish: Co dwie głowy, to nie jedna (literally: Two heads are not one)
Turkish: Akıl akıldan üstündür (literally: One mind outdoes another)
Origin: Zhuge Liang, the 3rd-century strategist of the Three Kingdoms, is the Chinese byword for brilliance. A popular explanation, not confirmed, holds that the 皮匠 (cobblers) were originally 裨将, deputy generals, which sounds almost the same.
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Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Du bist ein Schatz You're a sweetheart.
- 目に入れても痛くない (Me ni irete mo itakunai) Said of someone you adore completely, often a child or grandchild.
- Bête comme ses pieds Really not very bright.
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