Meanings
verbhave one's cake and eat it too (third-person singular simple present has one's cake and eats it too, present participle having one's cake and eating it too, simple past had one's cake and ate it too, past participle had one's cake and eaten it too)
present singular third person has one's cake and eats it too · participle present having one's cake and eating it too · past had one's cake and ate it too · participle past had one's cake and eaten it too · alternative eat one's cake and have it too
- idiomaticTo benefit by having two things which are mutually incompatible (such as eating a piece of cake and yet still possessing that piece for future use).
It's not possible to get your savings and keep the piggy bank intact. You can't have your cake and eat it too!
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 又要當婊子，又要立牌坊 /又要当婊子, 又要馬兒好，又要馬兒不吃草 /又要马儿好
- 又要當婊子，又要立牌坊 /又要当婊子to have two things which are mutually incompatible
- 又要馬兒好，又要馬兒不吃草 /又要马儿好to have two things which are mutually incompatible
Danish man kan ikke både blæse og have mel i munden
- man kan ikke både blæse og have mel i mundento have two things which are mutually incompatible
Dutch het is het een of het ander
- het is het een of het anderto have two things which are mutually incompatible
Finnish syödä ja säästää kakku (kakkua ei voi syödä ja säästää), sekä syödä että säästää kakku (kakkua ei voi sekä syödä että säästää)
- syödä ja säästää kakku (kakkua ei voi syödä ja säästää)to have two things which are mutually incompatible
- sekä syödä että säästää kakku (kakkua ei voi sekä syödä että säästää)to have two things which are mutually incompatible
French avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre
- avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurreto have two things which are mutually incompatible
German auf zwei Hochzeiten gleichzeitig tanzen, wasch mich, aber mach mich nicht nass
- auf zwei Hochzeiten gleichzeitig tanzento have two things which are mutually incompatible
- wasch mich, aber mach mich nicht nassto have two things which are mutually incompatible
Hindi दोनों हाथों में लड्डू होना, चित भी मेरी, पट भी मेरी
- दोनों हाथों में लड्डू होना (donõ hāthõ mẽ laḍḍū honā)to have two things which are mutually incompatible
- चित भी मेरी, पट भी मेरी (cit bhī merī, paṭ bhī merī)to have two things which are mutually incompatible
Hungarian azt akarja, hogy a kecske is jóllakjon, és a káposzta is megmaradjon
- azt akarja, hogy a kecske is jóllakjon, és a káposzta is megmaradjonto have two things which are mutually incompatible
Icelandic ekki verður bæði sleppt og haldið, bæði sleppa og halda
- ekki verður bæði sleppt og haldiðto have two things which are mutually incompatible
- bæði sleppa og haldato have two things which are mutually incompatible
- bæði halda og sleppato have two things which are mutually incompatible
Irish é a bheith i do phota agus i do mhála agat
- é a bheith i do phota agus i do mhála agatto have two things which are mutually incompatible
Italian avere la botte piena e la moglie ubriaca
- avere la botte piena e la moglie ubriacato have two things which are mutually incompatible
Japanese 都合の良いことばかりを望んでいる
- 都合の良いことばかりを望んでいるto have two things which are mutually incompatible
Persian هم خدا را خواستن و هم خرما را, هم خرو خواستن هم خرما
- هم خدا را خواستن و هم خرما را (ham xodâ râ xâstan va ham xormâ râ)to have two things which are mutually incompatible
- هم خرو خواستن هم خرما (ham xar-o xâstan ham xormâ)to have two things which are mutually incompatible
Polish zjeść ciastko i mieć ciastko, albo rybki, albo akwarium
- zjeść ciastko i mieć ciastkoto have two things which are mutually incompatible
- albo rybki, albo akwariumto have two things which are mutually incompatible
- albo rybka, albo pipkato have two things which are mutually incompatible
Portuguese ter sol na eira e chuva no nabal, querer sol na eira e chuva no nabal
- ter sol na eira e chuva no nabalto have two things which are mutually incompatible
- querer sol na eira e chuva no nabalto have two things which are mutually incompatible
Romanian și cu buzele unse, și cu slănina în pod, și cu burta plină, și cu slănina în pod
- și cu buzele unse, și cu slănina în podto have two things which are mutually incompatible
- și cu burta plină, și cu slănina în podto have two things which are mutually incompatible
Scottish Gaelic chan fhaodar a' bhò a reic 's a bainne òl, cha dèan corrag mhilis ìm
- chan fhaodar a' bhò a reic 's a bainne òlto have two things which are mutually incompatible
- cha dèan corrag mhilis ìmto have two things which are mutually incompatible
Spanish estar a la vez en la procesión y repicando las campanas, querer el oro y el moro
- estar a la vez en la procesión y repicando las campanasto have two things which are mutually incompatible
- querer el oro y el moroto have two things which are mutually incompatible
- nadar y tener la ropato have two things which are mutually incompatible
- estar en misa y repicandoto have two things which are mutually incompatible
- soplar y sorber, no puede serto have two things which are mutually incompatible
- tener el oro y el moroto have two things which are mutually incompatible
- tener la torta y jamearla ansimismoto have two things which are mutually incompatible
Swedish ha sin kaka och äta den med
- ha sin kaka och äta den medto have two things which are mutually incompatible
Thai จับปลาสองมือ
- จับปลาสองมือto have two things which are mutually incompatible
Welsh cadw torth a'i bwyta hi
- cadw torth a'i bwyta hito have two things which are mutually incompatible
Cite this entry
APA
have one's cake and eat it too. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20one's%20cake%20and%20eat%20it%20too
MLA
“have one's cake and eat it too.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20one's%20cake%20and%20eat%20it%20too. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “have one's cake and eat it too,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20one's%20cake%20and%20eat%20it%20too.
Source: have one's cake and eat it too on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.