Phrase guide

kill two birds with one stone

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To solve two problems with one single action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • Biking to work kills two birds with one stone. It saves money travelling and will help to lose weight.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Apparently coined by Dr. John Bramhall, Bishop of Derry, in a 1646 letter to Thomas Hobbes, later published in 1656. Compare earlier stop two gaps with one bush.

Across languages

Translations

70 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: twee vlieë met een klap slaan — solve two problems at once
  • Arabic: اِصْطَادَ عُصْفُورَيْن بِحَجَر وَاحِد (iṣṭāda ʕuṣfūrayn biḥajar wāḥid) — solve two problems at once
  • Armenian: մի գնդակով երկու նապաստակ խփել (mi gndakov erku napastak xpʻel) — solve two problems at once
  • Azerbaijani: bir güllə ilə iki dovşan vurmaq — solve two problems at once
  • Belarusian: забі́ць дву́х зайцо́ў (zabícʹ dvúx zajców) — solve two problems at once
  • Belarusian: забіва́ць двух зайцо́ў (zabivácʹ dvux zajców) — solve two problems at once
  • Bengali: এক ঢিলে দুই পাখি মারা (ek ḍhile dui pakhi mara) — solve two problems at once
  • Breton: lazhañ div voualc'h gant ur maen — solve two problems at once
  • Burmese: တစ်ချက်ခုတ် နှစ်ချက်ပြတ် (tachkyakhkut hnachkyakprat) — solve two problems at once
  • Catalan: matar dos pardals d'un tret — solve two problems at once
  • Catalan: matar dos ocells d'un tret — solve two problems at once
  • Chinese Cantonese: 一石二鳥 /一石二鸟 (jat1 sek6 ji6 niu5) — solve two problems at once
  • Chinese Cantonese: 一箭雙鵰 /一箭双雕 (jat1 zin3 soeng1 diu1) — solve two problems at once
  • Chinese Cantonese: 一雞兩味 /一鸡两味 — solve two problems at once
  • Chinese Cantonese: 一舉兩得 /一举两得 (jat1 geoi2 loeng5 dak1) — solve two problems at once
  • Chinese Mandarin: 一箭雙雕 /一箭双雕 (yī jiàn shuāng diāo) — solve two problems at once
  • Chinese Mandarin: 一舉兩得 /一举两得 (yī jǔ liǎng dé) — solve two problems at once
  • Czech: zabít dvě mouchy jednou ranou — solve two problems at once
  • Danish: slå to fluer med et smæk — solve two problems at once
  • Dutch: twee vliegen in een klap slaan — solve two problems at once
  • Esperanto: trafi du celojn per unu ŝtono — solve two problems at once
  • Estonian: tapma kaks kärbest ühe hoobiga — solve two problems at once
  • Finnish: tappaa kaksi kärpästä yhdellä iskulla — solve two problems at once
  • French: faire d'une pierre deux coups — solve two problems at once
  • Georgian: ერთი გასროლით ორი კურდღლის მოკვლა (erti gasrolit ori ḳurdɣlis moḳvla) — solve two problems at once
  • German: zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen — solve two problems at once
  • Greek: μ’ ένα σμπάρο δυο τρυγόνια (m’ éna smpáro dyo trygónia) — solve two problems at once
  • Hebrew: תפס שתי ציפורים במכה אחת — solve two problems at once
  • Hindi: एक पंथ दो काज (ek panth do kāj) — solve two problems at once
  • Hungarian: két legyet üt egy csapásra — solve two problems at once
  • Icelandic: slá tvær flugur í einu höggi — solve two problems at once
  • Indonesian: sekali mendayung, dua-tiga pulau terlampaui — solve two problems at once
  • Irish: dhá éan a mharú leis an urchar amháin — solve two problems at once
  • Italian: prendere due piccioni con una fava — solve two problems at once
  • Japanese: 一石二鳥 (isseki ni chō) — solve two problems at once
  • Japanese: 一挙両得 (ikkyo ryōtoku) — solve two problems at once
  • Korean: 일석이조 (ilseog-ijo) — solve two problems at once
  • Central Kurdish: بە بەردێک دوو چۆلەکە بکوژە (be berdêk dû çoleke bikuje) — solve two problems at once
  • Latin: Duo parietes de eadem fidelia dealbare — solve two problems at once
  • Latvian: nošaut divus zaķus ar vienu šāvienu — solve two problems at once
  • Lithuanian: vienu šūviu nušauti du zuikius — solve two problems at once
  • Luxembourgish: zwou Mécken op ee Schlag kréien — solve two problems at once
  • Malay: sambil menyelam minum air — solve two problems at once
  • Mongolian: нэг сумаар хоёр туулай буудах (neg sumaar xojor tuulaj buudax) — solve two problems at once
  • Norwegian Bokmål: slå to fluer i en smekk — solve two problems at once
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: slå to fluger i ein smekk — solve two problems at once
  • Persian: با یک تیر دو نشان زدن (bâ yek tir do nešân zadan) — solve two problems at once
  • Polish: piec dwie pieczenie na jednym ogniu — solve two problems at once
  • Polish: upiec dwie pieczenie na jednym ogniu — solve two problems at once
  • Portuguese: matar dois coelhos com uma cajadada só — solve two problems at once
  • Romanian: omorî două muște dintr-o lovitură — solve two problems at once
  • Romanian: împușca doi iepuri dintr-un foc — solve two problems at once
  • Russian: уби́ть одни́м вы́стрелом двух за́йцев (ubítʹ odním výstrelom dvux zájcev) — solve two problems at once
  • Serbo-Croatian: убити једним ударцем двије мухе — solve two problems at once
  • Serbo-Croatian: ùbiti jèdnīm ùdārcem dvȉje mùhe — solve two problems at once
  • Spanish: matar dos pájaros de un tiro — solve two problems at once
  • Swedish: slå två flugor i en smäll — solve two problems at once
  • Telugu: ఒకేదెబ్బకు రెండు పిట్టలు (okēdebbaku reṇḍu piṭṭalu) — solve two problems at once
  • Thai: ยิงปืนนัดเดียวได้นกสองตัว (ying bpeun nát dieow dâai nók sŏng dtua) — solve two problems at once
  • Turkish: bir taşla iki kuş vurmak — solve two problems at once
  • Vietnamese: một công đôi việc — solve two problems at once
  • Vietnamese: một công đôi chuyện — solve two problems at once
  • Vietnamese: nhất cử lưỡng tiện — solve two problems at once
  • Vietnamese: nhất tiễn song điêu — solve two problems at once
  • Vietnamese: một mũi tên trúng hai đích — solve two problems at once
  • Welsh: lladd dau aderyn â'r un garreg — solve two problems at once
  • Welsh: lladd dau aderyn ag un ergyd — solve two problems at once
  • Welsh: lladd dwy frân ag un ergyd — solve two problems at once
  • Yiddish: שיסן צוויי האָזן מיט איין שאָס (shisn tsvey hozn mit eyn shos) — solve two problems at once
  • Yiddish: כאַפּן צען סאָראָקעס בײַ איין וויידל (khapn tsen sorokes bay eyn veydl) — solve two problems at once