Proverb / Kotowaza
虻蜂取らず
Failing to obtain anything by being greedy and trying to grab two things at once.
Catching neither the horsefly nor the bee
Quick Answer
Failing to obtain anything by being greedy and trying to grab two things at once.
- Literal Image
- Catching neither the horsefly nor the bee
- Closest Equivalent
- Between two stools one falls to the ground
- How to Use It
- Used to describe or warn against situations where attempting to multitask or pursue multiple gains leads to total failure.
Meaning
This expression describes a situation where someone fails to achieve either of their goals because they attempted to pursue both simultaneously. By not focusing on a single objective, the person overextends themselves and ends up losing every opportunity. It serves as a warning that being too greedy can result in getting nothing at all.
Literal Image
Catching neither the horsefly nor the bee
Equivalent Proverbs
Between two stools one falls to the ground
Uses the image of falling between seats instead of insects.
How to Use It
Used to describe or warn against situations where attempting to multitask or pursue multiple gains leads to total failure.
Tone
Cautionary and critical of greed or lack of focus.
Examples
二つの仕事を同時に追いかけて、どちらも中途半端に終わった。虻蜂取らずだ。
I chased two jobs at the same time, and both ended up half-finished. I ended up with nothing.
転職活動と資格取得を並行して、結局両方ダメだった。虻蜂取らずである。
I tried to look for a job while studying for a qualification, but both failed in the end. It was a total loss.
虻蜂取らずにならないよう、まずは一つに集中しよう。
Let's focus on one thing first so we don't end up losing everything by being greedy.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Uses vocabulary like horsefly and bee, but the negative 'torazu' form and the idiomatic meaning make it slightly more complex.
虻
あぶ / abu
horsefly
蜂
はち / hachi
bee; wasp
取らず
とらず / torazu
not catching; without taking
Usage Profile
Usage note: Using this about someone's failure can sound quite critical of their decision-making or greed.
Misread Risk
Do not use this to describe a simple mistake; it specifically refers to failures caused by trying to obtain multiple things at once.
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Related Proverbs
Origin
According to research published by literature scholar Takeo Kaneko in 1959, the subject attempting to catch the insects is interpreted to be a spider. The story goes that a horsefly was caught in a spider's web, and as the spider moved to secure it, a bee also landed in the web. The spider left the horsefly to go after the bee, but in the meantime, the horsefly escaped, and the bee managed to get away as well, leaving the spider with nothing.
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