Meanings
proverb
alternative uncommon too many cooks spoils the broth · alternative too many chefs spoil the broth · alternative too many cooks spoil the soup · alternative too many cooks spoil the stew
- If too many people participate in a task, especially in a leading role, the task will not be done very well.
She professes to keep her own counsel; she says, and truly enough, that “Too many cooks spoil the broth.”
c. 1803–1805, Jane Austen, “The Watsons”, in J[ames] E[dward] Austen[-]Leigh, A Memoir of Jane Austen: […] to which is Added Lady Susan and Fragments of Two Other Unfinished Tales by Miss Austen, 2nd edition, London: Richard Bentley and Son, […], published 1871, →OCLC, pages 301–302
Synonyms & antonyms
Translations
Bulgarian много баби, хилаво дете
- много баби, хилаво дете (mnogo babi, hilavo dete)with too many people a task won't be done very well
Chinese Mandarin 人多添亂 /人多添乱, 人多誤事 /人多误事
- 人多添亂 /人多添乱 (rén duō tiān luàn)with too many people a task won't be done very well
- 人多誤事 /人多误事 (rén duō wù shì)with too many people a task won't be done very well
- 人多手腳亂 /人多手脚乱 (rén duō shǒujiǎo luàn)with too many people a task won't be done very well
Czech příliš mnoho kuchařů přesolí polévku
- příliš mnoho kuchařů přesolí polévkuwith too many people a task won't be done very well
Danish for mange kokke fordærver maden
- for mange kokke fordærver madenwith too many people a task won't be done very well
Dutch veel koks bederven de brij, veel koks verzouten de brij
- veel koks bederven de brijwith too many people a task won't be done very well
- veel koks verzouten de brijwith too many people a task won't be done very well
Esperanto tro da kuiristoj kaĉon difektas
- tro da kuiristoj kaĉon difektaswith too many people a task won't be done very well
Finnish mitä useampi kokki, sitä huonompi soppa
- mitä useampi kokki, sitä huonompi soppawith too many people a task won't be done very well
French trop de cuisiniers gâtent la sauce, autant de têtes, autant d'avis
- trop de cuisiniers gâtent la saucewith too many people a task won't be done very well
- autant de têtes, autant d'aviswith too many people a task won't be done very well
- deux patrons font chavirer la barquewith too many people a task won't be done very well
German viele Köche verderben den Brei
- viele Köche verderben den Breiwith too many people a task won't be done very well
Greek όπου λαλούν πολλοί κοκόροι αργεί να ξημερώσει
- όπου λαλούν πολλοί κοκόροι αργεί να ξημερώσει (ópou laloún polloí kokóroi argeí na ximerósei)with too many people a task won't be done very well
Hebrew בְּרֹב חוֹבְלִים תַּטְבַּעְנָה הַסְּפִינוֹת
- בְּרֹב חוֹבְלִים תַּטְבַּעְנָה הַסְּפִינוֹת (b'róv khovlím tatbá'na hasfinót)with too many people a task won't be done very well
Hungarian túl sok szakács elsózza a levest
- túl sok szakács elsózza a levestwith too many people a task won't be done very well
Italian troppi galli nel pollaio, troppi galli a cantare
- troppi galli nel pollaiowith too many people a task won't be done very well
- troppi galli a cantarewith too many people a task won't be done very well
Japanese 船頭多くして船山に登る
- 船頭多くして船山に登る (sendō ōkushite fune yama-ni noboru)with too many people a task won't be done very well
Korean 사공이 많으면 배가 산으로 간다
- 사공이 많으면 배가 산으로 간다 (sagong'i maneumyeon baega saneuro ganda)with too many people a task won't be done very well
Lithuanian devynios auklės, vaikas be galvos
- devynios auklės, vaikas be galvoswith too many people a task won't be done very well
Norwegian jo flere kokker, jo mer søl
- jo flere kokker, jo mer sølwith too many people a task won't be done very well
Persian آشپز که دوتا شد، آش یا شور میشود، یا بینمک
- آشپز که دوتا شد، آش یا شور میشود، یا بینمک (âšpaz ke do-tâ šod, âš yâ šur mišavad, yâ bi-namak)with too many people a task won't be done very well
Polish gdzie kucharek sześć, tam nie ma co jeść
- gdzie kucharek sześć, tam nie ma co jeśćwith too many people a task won't be done very well
Portuguese quem não ajuda não atrapalha, muita cera queima a igreja
- quem não ajuda não atrapalhawith too many people a task won't be done very well
- muita cera queima a igrejawith too many people a task won't be done very well
- a cera sobeja queima a igrejawith too many people a task won't be done very well
Romanian copilul cu mai multe moașe rămâne cu buricul netăiat
- copilul cu mai multe moașe rămâne cu buricul netăiatwith too many people a task won't be done very well
Russian у семи́ ня́нек дитя́ без гла́за
- у семи́ ня́нек дитя́ без гла́за (u semí njánek ditjá bez gláza)with too many people a task won't be done very well
Spanish muchas manos en un plato causan arrebato, muchas manos en un plato hacen mucho garabato
- muchas manos en un plato causan arrebatowith too many people a task won't be done very well
- muchas manos en un plato hacen mucho garabatowith too many people a task won't be done very well
Swedish ju fler kockar, desto sämre soppa
- ju fler kockar, desto sämre soppawith too many people a task won't be done very well
Thai มากหมอมากความ
- มากหมอมากความwith too many people a task won't be done very well
Ukrainian у семи няньок дитя без ока
- у семи няньок дитя без ока (u semy njanʹok dytja bez oka)with too many people a task won't be done very well
Vietnamese lắm thầy nhiều ma, chín người mười ý
- lắm thầy nhiều mawith too many people a task won't be done very well
- chín người mười ýwith too many people a task won't be done very well
Cite this entry
APA
too many cooks spoil the broth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/too%20many%20cooks%20spoil%20the%20broth
MLA
“too many cooks spoil the broth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/too%20many%20cooks%20spoil%20the%20broth. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “too many cooks spoil the broth,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/too%20many%20cooks%20spoil%20the%20broth.
Source: too many cooks spoil the broth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.