- English translation
If there is too little to serve everyone, give it to one person who can truly benefit from it.
- Literal wording
What is not enough for a group is more rightly given to one person.
- Meaning and lesson
A scarce resource should not be divided among several people when each share would be too small to do any good. Concentrating it on one recipient may produce a real benefit instead of leaving everyone inadequately provided for.
The saying expresses a practical rule for allocating limited food, money, effort, or supplies. It favors usefulness over equal-looking distribution when equality would reduce every portion below a meaningful level.
- When it is used
Use it when a limited resource cannot meet a whole group’s needs and a speaker argues that it should go to one person rather than be split into ineffective portions.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: If there is too little to serve everyone, give it to one person who can truly benefit from it.