鱼与熊掌

Traditional: 魚與熊掌
yú yǔ xióng zhǎng
Dictionary entry
lit. the fish and the bear's paw, you can't have both at the same time (idiom, from Mencius); fig. you must choose one or the other

What does 鱼与熊掌 mean?

鱼与熊掌 (yú yǔ xióng zhǎng) has the following dictionary meaning.

1lit. the fish and the bear's paw, you can't have both at the same time (idiom, from Mencius); fig. you must choose one or the other
2you can't always get everything you want
3you can't have your cake and eat it

Character breakdown

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How to pronounce 鱼与熊掌

鱼与熊掌
yú yǔ xióng zhǎng
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Base dictionary data: CC-CEDICT · CC BY-SA 4.0.