Proverb / Kotowaza
一石二鳥
Gaining two or more benefits from a single action or effort.
one stone, two birds
Quick Answer
Gaining two or more benefits from a single action or effort.
- Literal Image
- one stone, two birds
- Closest Equivalent
- To kill two birds with one stone
- How to Use It
- It is used to describe situations where a single method or activity yields multiple useful outcomes, such as saving money while improving health.
Meaning
This phrase describes the act of obtaining multiple advantages or reaching two goals through a single action. It highlights a high level of efficiency where one effort produces more than one positive result.
Literal Image
one stone, two birds
Equivalent Proverbs
To kill two birds with one stone
A direct functional equivalent expressing the same concept of efficiency.
How to Use It
It is used to describe situations where a single method or activity yields multiple useful outcomes, such as saving money while improving health.
Examples
通勤を自転車に変えたら運動にもなって節約にもなり、一石二鳥だ。
Changing my commute to a bicycle resulted in both exercise and savings; it's two birds with one stone.
旅行先で仕事の打ち合わせもできれば一石二鳥だね。
If you can have a business meeting at your travel destination, that would be two birds with one stone.
英語の勉強を兼ねて洋画を観るのは一石二鳥の方法だ。
Watching foreign films as a way to study English is a two-birds-with-one-stone method.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Uses simple kanji for numbers and birds, making the literal meaning straightforward to understand for intermediate learners.
一石
いっせき / isseki
one stone
二鳥
にちょう / nicho
two birds
Usage Profile
Misread Risk
This is specifically for positive outcomes; it is not used to describe one mistake leading to multiple negative consequences.
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Index
Topics, Situations, and Tags
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Situations
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Source Note
Where did this entry get its data from? The reference links are listed below. To understand how to read this section, see Data Sources.