"two heads are better than one" meaning in English

See two heads are better than one in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Proverb

Head templates: {{en-proverb}} two heads are better than one
  1. Some tasks may be accomplished more easily by two (or more) people working together than by one working alone. Categories (topical): One, Two Translations (joint thinking pays): 三個臭皮匠,勝過諸葛亮 (Chinese Mandarin), 三个臭皮匠 (Chinese Mandarin), 胜过诸葛亮 (sān ge chòupíjiàng shèng guò Zhūgé Liàng) (Chinese Mandarin), víc hlav víc ví (Czech), twee hoofden zijn beter dan een (Dutch), ик уш сай, кок уш сайрак (ik uš saj, kok uš sajrak) (Eastern Mari), yhteistyö on voimaa (Finnish), deux avis valent mieux qu’un (French), deux têtes valent mieux qu’une (French), il y a plus dans deux têtes que dans une (French), vier Augen sehen mehr als zwei (english: four eyes see more than two) (German), több szem többet lát (Hungarian), betur sjá augu en auga (english: many eyes see better than one) (Icelandic), due teste sono meglio di una (Italian), 三人寄れば文珠の知恵 (san nin yoreba monju-no chie) (english: three people together have the wisdom of a Buddha) (Japanese), dvi galvos geriau, nei viena (Lithuanian), co dwie głowy, to nie jedna (Polish), duas cabeças pensam melhor [do] que uma (english: two heads think better than one) (Portuguese), dvije glave su pametnije (english: two heads are smarter than one) (Serbo-Croatian), cuatro ojos ven más que dos (english: four eyes see better than two) (Spanish), dos cabezas piensan mejor que una (english: two heads think better than one) (Spanish), fyra ögon ser mer än två (english: four eyes see more than two) (Swedish), สองหัวดีกว่าหัวเดียว (Thai), bir elin nesi var iki elin sesi var (Turkish), tam ngu thành hiền (Vietnamese), một cây làm chẳng nên non, ba cây chụm lại nên hòn núi cao (Vietnamese)
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          "ref": "1818, Sir Walter Scott, chapter 8, in Rob Roy:",
          "text": "\"Mr. Francis Osbaldistone is an innocent man, Rashleigh,\" said Miss Vernon, \"and he demands an investigation of the charge against him, and I intend to support him in it.\"\n\"You do, my pretty cousin?—I should think, now, Mr. Francis Osbaldistone was likely to be as effectually, and rather more delicately, supported by my presence than by yours.\"\n\"Oh, certainly; but two heads are better than one, you know.\"",
          "type": "quote"
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          "ref": "1882, Horatio Alger, chapter 23, in Ben's Nugget:",
          "text": "On the principle that two heads are better than one, he resolved to take his companion, Jones, into his confidence and ask him to make a suggestion.",
          "type": "quote"
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          "ref": "1906, Arthur Quiller-Couch, chapter 17, in The Mayor of Troy:",
          "text": "Two heads are better than one, sir. We will prosecute our investigations together.",
          "type": "quote"
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          "ref": "2003 November 9, Nancy Meyers as told to Amy Barrett, “Sex and the Single Older Woman”, in New York Times, retrieved 2013-02-25:",
          "text": "Collaboration is great for screenwriting. It's not as simple as two heads are better than one, but if you find the right person, you can feed off each other.",
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      "id": "en-two_heads_are_better_than_one-en-proverb-~QW25efe",
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      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "三個臭皮匠,勝過諸葛亮"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "三个臭皮匠"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "sān ge chòupíjiàng shèng guò Zhūgé Liàng",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "胜过诸葛亮"
        },
        {
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "víc hlav víc ví"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "twee hoofden zijn beter dan een"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "yhteistyö on voimaa"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "deux avis valent mieux qu’un"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "deux têtes valent mieux qu’une"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "il y a plus dans deux têtes que dans une"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "english": "four eyes see more than two",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "vier Augen sehen mehr als zwei"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "több szem többet lát"
        },
        {
          "code": "is",
          "english": "many eyes see better than one",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "betur sjá augu en auga"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "due teste sono meglio di una"
        },
        {
          "code": "ja",
          "english": "three people together have the wisdom of a Buddha",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "san nin yoreba monju-no chie",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "三人寄れば文珠の知恵"
        },
        {
          "code": "lt",
          "lang": "Lithuanian",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "dvi galvos geriau, nei viena"
        },
        {
          "code": "mhr",
          "lang": "Eastern Mari",
          "roman": "ik uš saj, kok uš sajrak",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "ик уш сай, кок уш сайрак"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "co dwie głowy, to nie jedna"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "english": "two heads think better than one",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "duas cabeças pensam melhor [do] que uma"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "note": "одна́ голова́ — хорошо́, а две — лу́чше (odná golová — xorošó, a dve — lúčše)",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays"
        },
        {
          "code": "sh",
          "english": "two heads are smarter than one",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "dvije glave su pametnije"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "english": "four eyes see better than two",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "cuatro ojos ven más que dos"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "english": "two heads think better than one",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "dos cabezas piensan mejor que una"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "english": "four eyes see more than two",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "fyra ögon ser mer än två"
        },
        {
          "code": "th",
          "lang": "Thai",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "สองหัวดีกว่าหัวเดียว"
        },
        {
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "bir elin nesi var iki elin sesi var"
        },
        {
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "tam ngu thành hiền"
        },
        {
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "joint thinking pays",
          "word": "một cây làm chẳng nên non, ba cây chụm lại nên hòn núi cao"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "two heads are better than one"
}
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          "ref": "1818, Sir Walter Scott, chapter 8, in Rob Roy:",
          "text": "\"Mr. Francis Osbaldistone is an innocent man, Rashleigh,\" said Miss Vernon, \"and he demands an investigation of the charge against him, and I intend to support him in it.\"\n\"You do, my pretty cousin?—I should think, now, Mr. Francis Osbaldistone was likely to be as effectually, and rather more delicately, supported by my presence than by yours.\"\n\"Oh, certainly; but two heads are better than one, you know.\"",
          "type": "quote"
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          "ref": "1882, Horatio Alger, chapter 23, in Ben's Nugget:",
          "text": "On the principle that two heads are better than one, he resolved to take his companion, Jones, into his confidence and ask him to make a suggestion.",
          "type": "quote"
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          "ref": "1906, Arthur Quiller-Couch, chapter 17, in The Mayor of Troy:",
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          "ref": "2003 November 9, Nancy Meyers as told to Amy Barrett, “Sex and the Single Older Woman”, in New York Times, retrieved 2013-02-25:",
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    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "三個臭皮匠,勝過諸葛亮"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "三个臭皮匠"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "sān ge chòupíjiàng shèng guò Zhūgé Liàng",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "胜过诸葛亮"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "víc hlav víc ví"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "twee hoofden zijn beter dan een"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "yhteistyö on voimaa"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "deux avis valent mieux qu’un"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "deux têtes valent mieux qu’une"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "il y a plus dans deux têtes que dans une"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "english": "four eyes see more than two",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "vier Augen sehen mehr als zwei"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "több szem többet lát"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "english": "many eyes see better than one",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "betur sjá augu en auga"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "due teste sono meglio di una"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "english": "three people together have the wisdom of a Buddha",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "san nin yoreba monju-no chie",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "三人寄れば文珠の知恵"
    },
    {
      "code": "lt",
      "lang": "Lithuanian",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "dvi galvos geriau, nei viena"
    },
    {
      "code": "mhr",
      "lang": "Eastern Mari",
      "roman": "ik uš saj, kok uš sajrak",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "ик уш сай, кок уш сайрак"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "co dwie głowy, to nie jedna"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "english": "two heads think better than one",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "duas cabeças pensam melhor [do] que uma"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "note": "одна́ голова́ — хорошо́, а две — лу́чше (odná golová — xorošó, a dve — lúčše)",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "english": "two heads are smarter than one",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "dvije glave su pametnije"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "english": "four eyes see better than two",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "cuatro ojos ven más que dos"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "english": "two heads think better than one",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "dos cabezas piensan mejor que una"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "english": "four eyes see more than two",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "fyra ögon ser mer än två"
    },
    {
      "code": "th",
      "lang": "Thai",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "สองหัวดีกว่าหัวเดียว"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "bir elin nesi var iki elin sesi var"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "tam ngu thành hiền"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "joint thinking pays",
      "word": "một cây làm chẳng nên non, ba cây chụm lại nên hòn núi cao"
    }
  ],
  "word": "two heads are better than one"
}

Download raw JSONL data for two heads are better than one meaning in English (6.3kB)

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  "msg": "suspicious translation with '[': {'lang': 'Portuguese', 'code': 'pt', 'sense': 'joint thinking pays', 'english': 'two heads think better than one', 'word': 'duas cabeças pensam melhor [do] que uma'}",
  "path": [
    "two heads are better than one"
  ],
  "section": "English",
  "subsection": "proverb",
  "title": "two heads are better than one",
  "trace": ""
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.