quien mucho abarca, poco aprieta

Spanish

Alternative forms

• el que mucho abarca, poco aprieta

Etymology

Literally, “he who embraces a lot, clasps little”. From Aesop's fable The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs. Compare French qui trop embrasse mal étreint and Italian chi troppo vuole nulla stringe.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌkjem ˌmut͡ʃo aˌbaɾka | ˌpoko aˈpɾjeta/ [ˌkjẽm ˌmu.t͡ʃo aˌβ̞aɾ.ka | ˌpo.ko aˈpɾje.t̪a]
• Syllabification: quien mu‧cho a‧bar‧ca, po‧co a‧prie‧ta

Proverb

quien mucho abarca, poco aprieta

1. grasp all, lose all

   Synonym: la avaricia rompe el saco