ProverbWisdomFrench origin

Un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l'auras

Meaning: A certain small gain beats a larger promised one.

Literally: One here-you-are is worth more than two you-shall-haves

Example: “Accepte l'offre ferme d'aujourd'hui ; un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l'auras.” — Take today's firm offer; a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Equivalents in English, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, and 6 more languages

  • English: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
  • Spanish: Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando (literally: A bird in hand is worth more than a hundred flying)
  • Japanese: 明日の百より今日の五十 (Asu no hyaku yori kyō no gojū) (literally: Fifty today is better than a hundred tomorrow)
  • German: Der Spatz in der Hand ist besser als die Taube auf dem Dach (literally: The sparrow in the hand is better than the pigeon on the roof)
  • Italian: Meglio un uovo oggi che una gallina domani (literally: Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow)
  • Portuguese: Mais vale um pássaro na mão do que dois a voar (literally: A bird in the hand is worth more than two flying)
  • Dutch: Beter één vogel in de hand dan tien in de lucht (literally: Better one bird in the hand than ten in the air)
  • Russian: Лучше синица в руках, чем журавль в небе (Luchshe sinitsa v rukakh, chem zhuravl' v nebe) (literally: Better a titmouse in the hands than a crane in the sky)
  • Polish: Lepszy wróbel w garści niż gołąb na dachu (literally: Better a sparrow in the fist than a pigeon on the roof)
  • Arabic: عصفور في اليد خير من عشرة على الشجرة (ʿUṣfūr fī l-yad khayr min ʿashara ʿalā sh-shajara) (literally: A sparrow in the hand is better than ten on the tree)
  • Turkish: Bugünkü tavuk yarınki kazdan iyidir (literally: Today's hen is better than tomorrow's goose)

Origin: The grammar is the joke: two verb forms are used as nouns, the imperative of giving against the future of promising. English says a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

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