bắt cá hai tay

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Also seen as: bắt cá đôi tay

Meaning · English

If you cannot make up your mind which of two things you should do, you are liable to get yourself into difficulties by doing neither.

Literally: You catch fish with both hands.
Where it’s used: Used Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora
Sources & notes

Imported from Wikiquote: Vietnamese proverbs (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29), pending review. Sources cited there: Vocabulaire élémentaire Français-Vietnamien.

Common questions

What does “bắt cá hai tay” mean?

If you cannot make up your mind which of two things you should do, you are liable to get yourself into difficulties by doing neither. Literally: You catch fish with both hands.

Is “bắt cá hai tay” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.