How do you say “Hedge your bets” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is ne pas tout miser sur une seule option, which literally means “not to stake everything on a single option”. English speakers use hedge your bets to mean to reduce the risk of failure by keeping more than one option available. A direct French paraphrase that keeps the betting image. It works well for ordinary backup plans. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
ne pas tout miser sur une seule option
/nə pa tu mize syʁ yn sœl ɔpsjɔ̃/
- Literal meaning
- “not to stake everything on a single option”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
93 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“Miser sur” means to put your hopes or resources into something. Saying you will not put everything into one option explains the caution.
“Jouer sur plusieurs tableaux” is another expression, but can suggest pursuing several interests or sides at once. For a simple backup plan, the direct wording is clearer.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity4 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
I’m hedging my bets by applying to three different courses.
French
Je ne mise pas tout sur une seule option : je pose ma candidature à trois formations différentes.
English
We hedged our bets and booked an indoor room as well as the garden.
French
Nous n’avons pas tout misé sur une seule option : nous avons réservé une salle en plus du jardin.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-13