great minds think alike

English

Proverb

great minds think alike (fools seldom differ)

1. Used to emphasize a coincidence, or two people reaching the same conclusion in any manner at the same time.

   Person A: He looks a bit like David Beckham...

   Person B: I was just thinking that!

   Person A: Great minds think alike, eh?

   Person C: More like fools seldom differ in this case...

Usage notes

The "Fools seldom differ" part is found in British English only.

Translations

used to emphasize two people reaching the same conclusion

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 英雄所見略同／英雄所见略同 (zh) (yīngxióng suǒjiànlüètóng), 英雄所见略同 (zh) (yīngxióng suǒjiàn lüètóng)

• Dutch: grote geesten denken gelijk
• Finnish: sitä minäkin juuri ajattelin
• French: les grands esprits se rencontrent (fr)
• German: zwei Dumme, ein Gedanke
• Greek: τα μεγάλα πνεύματα συναντώνται (ta megála pnévmata synantóntai)
• Hebrew: מוחות גדולים חושבים בצורה דומה
• Irish: tuigeann fáidh fáidh eile
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: 賢人は皆同じように考えるものだ (けんじんはみんなおなじようにかんがえるものだ, kenjin wa minna onaji yō ni kangaeru mono da)
• Korean: 역지즉개연 (易地則皆然, yeok-ji-jeuk-gae-yeon) (易地則皆然), 역지사지 (ko) (yeok-ji-sa-ji) (易地思之)
• Norwegian: store hoder tenker likt
• Portuguese: grandes mentes pensam igual, grandes mentes pensam da mesma forma
• Russian: у дурако́в мы́сли схо́дятся (u durakóv mýsli sxódjatsja) (fools' thoughts converge)
• Scottish Gaelic: tha inntinnean móra a' co-smaoineachadh
• Spanish: grandes mentes piensan igual
• Turkish: aklın yolu bir
• Welsh: tebyg meddwl pob doeth, unfarn pob doeth

References

• Gregory Y. Titelman, Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings, 1996, →ISBN, p. 125.