English
Etymology
Earliest known English usage in 15th century in The Life of St Katherine by J. Capgrave. Used in 13th century Latin (Plus valet in manibus avis unica quam dupla silvis "...in the woods", rather than "...in the bush"). However, a much older Near Eastern origin is suggested by a near equivalent in the 6th century BCE Proverbs of Ahiqar : 'a sparrow in thy hand is better than a thousand sparrows flying'.[1]
Pronunciation
Proverb
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
It is preferable to have a small but certain advantage than a mere potential of a greater one.
Translations
small but certain advantage is preferable
Arabic: عُصْفُورٌ فِي ٱلْيَدِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ عُصْفُورِينَ عَلَى ٱلشَّجَرَةِ ( ʕuṣfūrun fī l-yadi ʔafḍalu min ʕuṣfūrīna ʕalā š-šajarati )
Armenian: փորձված թանը անփորձ մածունի հետ չեն փոխի ( pʻorjvac tʻanə anpʻorj macuni het čʻen pʻoxi )
Chinese:
Mandarin: 一鳥在手勝於十鳥在林 ／ 一鸟在手胜于十鸟在林 一鸟在手胜于十鸟在林 ( yī niăo zài shŏu shèng yú shí niăo zài lín )
Czech: lepší vrabec v hrsti, nežli holub na střeše
Danish: en fugl i hånden er bedre end ti på taget
Dutch: beter één vogel in de hand dan tien in de lucht
Esperanto: Pli bona ol dek branĉoj sur centono
Estonian: parem varblane peos kui tuvi katusel
Finnish: parempi pyy pivossa kuin kymmenen oksalla
French: un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l’auras (fr) ( a here-you-go is worth more than two you-can-have-it-laters ) , moineau à la main vaut mieux que grue qui vole
Friulian: l'è miôr un ûf vuê che une gjaline doman
Georgian: დღევანდელი კვერცხი ჯობია ხვალინდელ ქათამს ( dɣevandeli ḳvercxi ǯobia xvalindel katams )
German: Besser ein Spatz in der Hand als eine Taube auf dem Dach
Greek: κάλλιο πέντε και στο χέρι παρά δέκα και καρτέρει (el) ( kállio pénte kai sto chéri pará déka kai kartérei ) ( rather hold five in hand than wait for ten to come )
Hebrew: טוב ציפור אחת ביד משתיים על העץ (he) ( tov tzippór aḥát bayád mishtáim 'al ha'étz )
Hungarian: jobb ma egy veréb, mint holnap egy túzok (hu)
Icelandic: betri er einn fugl í hendi en tveir í skógi
Italian: meglio un uovo oggi che una gallina domani
Japanese: 明日の百より今日の五十 ( asu-no hyaku-yori kyō-no gojū ) ( today's 50 rather than tomorrow's 100 )
Khmer: ចាបមួយនៅដៃប្រសើរក្រៃ ជាងចាបដប់នៅលើឈើ ( chaap muəy nɨv day prɑsaə kray, jieng chaap dɑp nɨv ləə cʰəə )
(deprecated template usage ) {{trans-mid }}Korean: 손안에 있는 새가 숲속에 있는 두 마리보다 낫다. ( sonane inneun saega supsoge inneun du mariboda natda. )
Latvian: labāk zīle, kas man ir rokā, nekā mednis, kas vēl sēd kokā labāk zīle rokā, nekā mednis kokā ( rather the titmouse that is in my hand than a wood grouse that is still sitting in the tree/ rather a titmouse in hand than a wood grouse in a tree )
Lombard: l'è mej un üsèll in man che cent che vola
Malay:
Jawi: يڠ کجر تق داڤت, يڠ دکيندوڠ برچيچيرن هارڤکن ݢوروه د لاڠيت, اءير د تمڤاين دچورهکن
Rumi: yang kejar tak dapat, yang dikendong berciciran harapkan guruh di langit, air di tempayan dicurahkan
Maltese: għasfur f’idejk aħjar milli mija fl-ajru
Norwegian:
Bokmål: én fugl i hånden er bedre enn ti på taket (no)
Polish: lepszy wróbel w garści niż gołąb na dachu (pl)
Portuguese: mais vale um pássaro na mão do que dois voando (pt)
Romanian: mai bine o vrabie în mână decât o cioară pe gard mai bine o păsărică-n mână, decât două în tufiș.
Russian: не сули́ журавля́ в не́бе, дай сини́цу в ру́ки (ru) ( ne sulí žuravljá v nébe, daj sinícu v rúki ) ( do not promise a crane in the sky, rather give a titmouse into my hands ) , ( somewhat ) за двумя́ за́йцами пого́нишься, ни одного́ не пойма́ешь (ru) ( za dvumjá zájcami pogónišʹsja, ni odnovó ne pojmáješʹ ) ( if you start chasing two hares you will catch none )
Scottish Gaelic: 's fhearr eun san làimh na deich air iteig 's fhearr iasg beag na bhith gun iasg idir
Serbo-Croatian: боље врабац у руци него голуб на грани ( bolje vrabac u ruci nego golub na grani ) , bolje vrabac u ruci nego golub na grani
Slovak: lepší vrabec v hrsti ako holub na streche
Spanish: más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando ( a bird in one hand is worth more than a hundred in flight )
Swedish: bättre en fågel i handen än tio i skogen
Turkish: bir eldeki kuş çalıdakinin iki misli değerdir
Vietnamese: một con chim trong tay có giá trị hơn hai con trong bụi cây
Welsh: gwell bach mewn llaw na mawr gerllaw (cy)
See also
References