How do you say “Have your cake and eat it too” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is vouloir le beurre et l'argent du beurre, which literally means “to want the butter and the money for the butter”. English speakers use have your cake and eat it too to mean to enjoy two benefits that normally cannot be had together. Usually a criticism of someone who refuses a trade-off. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
vouloir le beurre et l'argent du beurre
/vulwaʁ lə bœʁ e laʁʒɑ̃ dy bœʁ/
- Literal meaning
- “to want the butter and the money for the butter”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
98 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
French uses a purchase instead of a cake. You want to keep the butter and also keep the money you would need to pay for it.
The criticism is the same: a choice usually involves giving something up. The phrase is especially natural when someone expects both sides of a bargain to favour them.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity3 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
You want a bigger flat and the same low rent, but you can't have your cake and eat it too.
French
Tu veux un appartement plus grand pour le même petit loyer, mais tu ne peux pas avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre.
English
He wants to have his cake and eat it too: all the credit and none of the responsibility.
French
Il veut le beurre et l'argent du beurre : tout le mérite et aucune responsabilité.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-09-19