if you want a thing done well, do it yourself

proverb

It is better to do something oneself than to rely on others to do it well.

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Meanings

proverb

alternative if you want something done, do it yourself · alternative if you want a thing done right, do it yourself · alternative if you want it done right, do it yourself

  1. It is better to do something oneself than to rely on others to do it well.

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 求人不如求己
  • 求人不如求己 (qiúrén bùrú qiújǐ)better to do something oneself
Finnish kun itse tekee, tietää mitä saa
  • kun itse tekee, tietää mitä saabetter to do something oneself
French on n'est jamais mieux servi que par soi-même
  • on n'est jamais mieux servi que par soi-mêmebetter to do something oneself
Norwegian vil du ha noe gjort, gjør det selv
  • vil du ha noe gjort, gjør det selvbetter to do something oneself
Russian если хочешь сделать что-то хорошо, сделай это сам.
  • если хочешь сделать что-то хорошо, сделай это сам. (jesli xočešʹ sdelatʹ što-to xorošo, sdelaj eto sam.)better to do something oneself
Cite this entry
APA

if you want a thing done well, do it yourself. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/if%20you%20want%20a%20thing%20done%20well%2C%20do%20it%20yourself

MLA

“if you want a thing done well, do it yourself.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/if%20you%20want%20a%20thing%20done%20well%2C%20do%20it%20yourself. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “if you want a thing done well, do it yourself,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/if%20you%20want%20a%20thing%20done%20well%2C%20do%20it%20yourself.

Source: if you want a thing done well, do it yourself on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.