Meanings
- A sure thing is preferable to the mere chance at something more.First known use 15th c.
It is more sykyr a bryd in youre fyste Than to have thre in the sky above
15th c., John Capgrave, Life of St Katherine, Bodleian MS Rawlinson poet. 118, Bk. II2 more examples
May. No, but the Sides are going to be changed ; and Sir Harry is to be ſome very great Man ; and as ſoon as he is, I am to be made an Embaſſador of. Mrs. May. Made an Aſs of! Will you never learn of me, that a Bird in the Hand is worth two in the Buſh ?
1737, Henry Fielding, Pasquin, Act II, Scene I, p. 27[An] acquaintance ... proposed to pay a ... proportion of the cost of the cellar provided he should have as his own everything of value that might be found [excavating]. A bird in the hand, thought Bardolph, is worth two in the bush, so he ... accepted the proposal.
1864, William W. Story, “The Campagna”, in Roba Di Roma, volume II, page 8Synonyms: better an egg today than a hen tomorrow, take the cash and let the credit go
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbA sure thing is preferable to the mere chance at something more.
Origin
- Latinplus valet in manibus avis unica quam dupla silvis“a single bird in the hands is worth more than two in the forest”
- Englisha bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
Calque of Latin plus valet in manibus avis unica quam dupla silvis (“a single bird in the hands is worth more than two in the forest”), possibly deriving from sources as old as the ancient Middle East, with the 6th century BCE Proverbs of Ahiqar including "a sparrow in thy hand is better than a thousand sparrows flying".
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic عُصْفُورٌ فِي ٱلْيَدِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ عُصْفُورِينَ عَلَى ٱلشَّجَرَةِ
- عُصْفُورٌ فِي ٱلْيَدِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ عُصْفُورِينَ عَلَى ٱلشَّجَرَةِ (ʕuṣfūrun fī l-yadi ʔafḍalu min ʕuṣfūrīna ʕalā š-šajarati)small but certain advantage is preferable
Chinese Mandarin 一鳥在手勝於十鳥在林 /一鸟在手胜于十鸟在林
- 一鳥在手勝於十鳥在林 /一鸟在手胜于十鸟在林 (yī niǎo zài shǒu shèngyú shí niǎo zài lín)small but certain advantage is preferable
Czech lepší vrabec v hrsti, nežli holub na střeše
- lepší vrabec v hrsti, nežli holub na střešesmall but certain advantage is preferable
Danish en fugl i hånden er bedre end ti på taget
- en fugl i hånden er bedre end ti på tagetsmall but certain advantage is preferable
Dutch beter een vogel in de hand dan tien in de lucht
- beter een vogel in de hand dan tien in de luchtsmall but certain advantage is preferable
Esperanto pli bona ol dek branĉoj sur centono
- pli bona ol dek branĉoj sur centonosmall but certain advantage is preferable
Estonian parem varblane peos kui tuvi katusel
- parem varblane peos kui tuvi katuselsmall but certain advantage is preferable
Finnish parempi pyy pivossa kuin kymmenen oksalla
- parempi pyy pivossa kuin kymmenen oksallasmall but certain advantage is preferable
French un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l'auras, moineau à la main vaut mieux que grue qui vole
- un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l'aurassmall but certain advantage is preferable
- moineau à la main vaut mieux que grue qui volesmall but certain advantage is preferable
German besser ein Spatz in der Hand als eine Taube auf dem Dach
- besser ein Spatz in der Hand als eine Taube auf dem Dachsmall but certain advantage is preferable
Hebrew טוב ציפור אחת ביד משתיים על העץ
- טוב ציפור אחת ביד משתיים על העץ (tov tzippór aḥát bayád mishtáim 'al ha'étz)small but certain advantage is preferable
Hindi नौ नक़द न तेरह उधार
- नौ नक़द न तेरह उधार (nau naqad na terah udhār)small but certain advantage is preferable
Hungarian jobb ma egy veréb, mint holnap egy túzok
- jobb ma egy veréb, mint holnap egy túzoksmall but certain advantage is preferable
Icelandic betri er einn fugl í hendi en tveir í skógi
- betri er einn fugl í hendi en tveir í skógismall but certain advantage is preferable
Irish is fearr breac sa láimh ná bradán sa linn, is fearr áirithe na srathrach ná iasacht na diallaite
- is fearr breac sa láimh ná bradán sa linnsmall but certain advantage is preferable
- is fearr áirithe na srathrach ná iasacht na diallaitesmall but certain advantage is preferable
Italian meglio un uovo oggi che una gallina domani
- meglio un uovo oggi che una gallina domanismall but certain advantage is preferable
Latvian labāk zīle, kas man ir rokā, nekā mednis, kas vēl sēd kokā, labāk zīle rokā, nekā mednis kokā
- labāk zīle, kas man ir rokā, nekā mednis, kas vēl sēd kokāsmall but certain advantage is preferable
- labāk zīle rokā, nekā mednis kokāsmall but certain advantage is preferable
Malay يڠ کجر تق داڤت, يڠ دکيندوڠ برچيچيرن, هارڤکن ݢوروه د لاڠيت, اءير د تمڤاين دچورهکن
- يڠ کجر تق داڤت, يڠ دکيندوڠ برچيچيرنsmall but certain advantage is preferable
- هارڤکن ݢوروه د لاڠيت, اءير د تمڤاين دچورهکنsmall but certain advantage is preferable
- yang kejar tak dapat, yang dikendong berciciransmall but certain advantage is preferable
- harapkan guruh di langit, air di tempayan dicurahkansmall but certain advantage is preferable
Norwegian Bokmål én fugl i hånden er bedre enn ti på taket
- én fugl i hånden er bedre enn ti på taketsmall but certain advantage is preferable
Polish lepszy wróbel w garści niż gołąb na dachu, lepszy wróbel w ręku niż cietrzew na sęku
- lepszy wróbel w garści niż gołąb na dachusmall but certain advantage is preferable
- lepszy wróbel w ręku niż cietrzew na sękusmall but certain advantage is preferable
- lepszy wróbel w ręku niż sokół na sękusmall but certain advantage is preferable
Portuguese mais vale um pássaro na mão do que dois voando
- mais vale um pássaro na mão do que dois voandosmall but certain advantage is preferable
Romanian nu da vrabia din mână pe cioara de pe gard
- nu da vrabia din mână pe cioara de pe gardsmall but certain advantage is preferable
Russian лучше синица в руках, чем журавль в небе
- лучше синица в руках, чем журавль в небе (lučše sinica v rukax, čem žuravlʹ v nebe)small but certain advantage is preferable
Scottish Gaelic 's fhearr eun san làimh na deich air iteig, 's fhearr iasg beag na bhith gun iasg idir
- 's fhearr eun san làimh na deich air iteigsmall but certain advantage is preferable
- 's fhearr iasg beag na bhith gun iasg idirsmall but certain advantage is preferable
Slovak lepší vrabec v hrsti ako holub na streche
- lepší vrabec v hrsti ako holub na strechesmall but certain advantage is preferable
Spanish más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando
- más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volandosmall but certain advantage is preferable
Swedish bättre en fågel i handen än tio i skogen
- bättre en fågel i handen än tio i skogensmall but certain advantage is preferable
Turkish bir eldeki kuş çalıdakinin iki misli değerdir
- bir eldeki kuş çalıdakinin iki misli değerdirsmall but certain advantage is preferable
Ukrainian кра́ще сини́ця в жме́ні, ніж жураве́ль в не́бі
- кра́ще сини́ця в жме́ні, ніж жураве́ль в не́бі (krášče synýcja v žméni, niž žuravélʹ v nébi)small but certain advantage is preferable
Vietnamese một con chim trong tay có giá trị hơn hai con trong bụi cây
- một con chim trong tay có giá trị hơn hai con trong bụi câysmall but certain advantage is preferable
Welsh gwell bach mewn llaw na mawr gerllaw
- gwell bach mewn llaw na mawr gerllawsmall but certain advantage is preferable
Cite this entry
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20bird%20in%20the%20hand%20is%20worth%20two%20in%20the%20bush
“a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20bird%20in%20the%20hand%20is%20worth%20two%20in%20the%20bush. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20bird%20in%20the%20hand%20is%20worth%20two%20in%20the%20bush.
Source: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.