Meanings
proverb
alternative you scratch my balls and I'll scratch yours
- If you do me a favor then I will do you a favor; quid pro quo.
Everybody's hustling for a buck and a dime / I'll scratch your back and you scratch mine
1974, “Nobody Loves You (When You're Down And Out)”, in John Lennon (lyrics), Walls and Bridges, performed by John Lennon
Translations
Bulgarian ти на мене, аз на тебе
- ти на мене, аз на тебе (ti na mene, az na tebe)if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Chinese Mandarin 互惠互利, 滴水之恩，当涌泉相报
- 互惠互利 (hùhuìhùlì)if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
- 滴水之恩，当涌泉相报if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Finnish vuoroin vieraissa käydään
- vuoroin vieraissa käydäänif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
French on ne donne rien pour rien, on n'a rien pour rien
- on ne donne rien pour rienif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
- on n'a rien pour rienif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
- donnant donnantif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
German eine Hand wäscht die andere, von nichts kommt nichts
- eine Hand wäscht die andereif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
- von nichts kommt nichtsif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Hebrew שמור לי ואשמור לך, יד רוחצת יד
- שמור לי ואשמור לךif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
- יד רוחצת ידif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
- טובה תחת טובהif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Hindi तू मुझको मैं तुझको
- तू मुझको मैं तुझको (tū mujhko ma͠i tujhko)if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Hungarian kéz kezet mos, valamit valamiért
- kéz kezet mosif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
- valamit valamiértif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Italian una mano lava l'altra
- una mano lava l'altraif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Japanese 魚心あれば水心あり
- 魚心あれば水心ありif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Norwegian du klør meg på ryggen, og jeg klør deg på ryggen, du klør min rygg, og jeg klør din
- du klør meg på ryggen, og jeg klør deg på ryggenif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
- du klør min rygg, og jeg klør dinif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Polish ręka rękę myje, przysługa za przysługę
- ręka rękę myjeif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
- przysługa za przysługęif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Portuguese uma mão lava a outra
- uma mão lava a outraif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Romanian o mână spală pe alta, serviciu contra serviciu
- o mână spală pe altaif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
- serviciu contra serviciuif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Russian услу́га за услу́гу
- услу́га за услу́гу (uslúga za uslúgu)if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Scottish Gaelic am fear a thèid san droigheann dhomh, thèid mi san dris dha
- am fear a thèid san droigheann dhomh, thèid mi san dris dhaif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Slovak ruka ruku myje
- ruka ruku myjeif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Spanish hoy por ti, mañana por mí, favor con favor se paga
- hoy por ti, mañana por míif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
- favor con favor se pagaif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Swahili mwosha huoshwa
- mwosha huoshwaif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Swedish tjänster och gentjänster
- tjänster och gentjänsterif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Thai ยื่นหมูยื่นแมว
- ยื่นหมูยื่นแมว (yêun mŏo yêun maew)if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Vietnamese có qua có lại mới toại lòng nhau, có qua có lại
- có qua có lại mới toại lòng nhauif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
- có qua có lạiif you do me a favor then I will do you a favor
Cite this entry
APA
you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you%20scratch%20my%20back%20and%20I'll%20scratch%20yours
MLA
“you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you%20scratch%20my%20back%20and%20I'll%20scratch%20yours. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you%20scratch%20my%20back%20and%20I'll%20scratch%20yours.
Source: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.