Meanings
proverb
- One who pursues too much may not gain anything.
Translations
Catalan qui molt abraça, poc estreny, qui molt abraça i poc estreny pateix de poc seny
- qui molt abraça, poc estrenyone who wants everything, may lose it all
- qui molt abraça i poc estreny pateix de poc senyone who wants everything, may lose it all
Chinese Cantonese 貪字得個貧 /贪字得个贫
- 貪字得個貧 /贪字得个贫 (taam¹ zi⁶ dak¹ go³ pan⁴)one who wants everything, may lose it all
Chinese Mandarin 貪多必失 /贪多必失, 欲盡得，必盡失 /欲尽得
- 貪多必失 /贪多必失 (tānduōbìshī)one who wants everything, may lose it all
- 欲盡得，必盡失 /欲尽得one who wants everything, may lose it all
- 必尽失 (yù jǐn dé, bì jǐn shī)one who wants everything, may lose it all
- 樣樣都要，全數失掉 /样样都要one who wants everything, may lose it all
- 全数失掉 (yàngyàng dōuyào, quánshù shīdiào)one who wants everything, may lose it all
Finnish joka kuuseen kurkottaa, se katajaan kapsahtaa, parempi pyy pivossa kuin kymmenen oksalla
- joka kuuseen kurkottaa, se katajaan kapsahtaaone who wants everything, may lose it all
- parempi pyy pivossa kuin kymmenen oksallaone who wants everything, may lose it all
French qui trop embrasse mal étreint
- qui trop embrasse mal étreintone who wants everything, may lose it all
Hungarian aki sokat markol, keveset fog
- aki sokat markol, keveset fogone who wants everything, may lose it all
Italian chi troppo vuole nulla stringe
- chi troppo vuole nulla stringeone who wants everything, may lose it all
Japanese 二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず, 欲の熊鷹股裂く
- 二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず (nito o ou mono wa itto o mo ezu)one who wants everything, may lose it all
- 欲の熊鷹股裂く (yoku no kumataka mata saku)one who wants everything, may lose it all
Polish ten, kto chce wszystko, może stracić wszystko
- ten, kto chce wszystko, może stracić wszystkoone who wants everything, may lose it all
Portuguese quem tudo quer tudo perde
- quem tudo quer tudo perdeone who wants everything, may lose it all
Russian за двумя́ за́йцами пого́нишься, ни одного́ не пойма́ешь
- за двумя́ за́йцами пого́нишься, ни одного́ не пойма́ешь (za dvumjá zájcami pogónišʹsja, ni odnovó ne pojmáješʹ)one who wants everything, may lose it all
Spanish la avaricia rompe el saco, quien mucho abarca, poco aprieta
- la avaricia rompe el sacoone who wants everything, may lose it all
- quien mucho abarca, poco aprietaone who wants everything, may lose it all
Swedish den som gapar efter mycket mister ofta hela stycket, gapa efter mycket
- den som gapar efter mycket mister ofta hela stycketone who wants everything, may lose it all
- gapa efter mycketone who wants everything, may lose it all
Vietnamese tham thì thâm
- tham thì thâmone who wants everything, may lose it all
Cite this entry
APA
grasp all, lose all. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grasp%20all%2C%20lose%20all
MLA
“grasp all, lose all.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grasp%20all%2C%20lose%20all. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “grasp all, lose all,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grasp%20all%2C%20lose%20all.
Source: grasp all, lose all on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.