ProverbWisdomChinese origin

鱼与熊掌不可兼得 (Yú yǔ xióngzhǎng bù kě jiān dé)

Meaning: You can't have two good things that exclude each other.

Literally: You can't have both the fish and the bear's paw

Example: “工作和旅行不能兼顾，鱼与熊掌不可兼得。” — You can't keep the job and travel the world: you can't have your cake and eat it too.

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

  • English: You can't have your cake and eat it too
  • French: On ne peut avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre (literally: You can't have the butter and the money for the butter)
  • Spanish: No se puede estar en misa y repicando (literally: You can't be at mass and ringing the bells)
  • Japanese: 二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず (Nito o ou mono wa itto o mo ezu) (literally: He who chases two rabbits catches neither)
  • German: Man kann nicht auf zwei Hochzeiten tanzen (literally: You can't dance at two weddings)
  • Italian: Volere la botte piena e la moglie ubriaca (literally: To want the barrel full and the wife drunk)
  • Portuguese: Sol na eira e chuva no nabal (literally: Sun on the threshing floor and rain on the turnip field)

Origin: From Mencius: fish is what I want, bear's paw is also what I want; if I can't have both, I'll take the bear's paw. He goes on to set life against righteousness.

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