How do you say “Kill two birds with one stone” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is faire d'une pierre deux coups, which literally means “to make two strikes with one stone”. English speakers use kill two birds with one stone to mean to achieve two aims with a single action. This is the universally accepted French counterpart and is used by native speakers of all ages in everyday conversation. It aligns almost identically in meaning, tone, and imagery. It is neutral, informal and common in everyday French.
Closest natural French
faire d'une pierre deux coups
/fɛʁ dyn pjɛʁ dø ku/
- Literal meaning
- “to make two strikes with one stone”
- Register
- neutral, informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
98 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
Both the English and French expressions draw from ancient hunting imagery involving stones, but they highlight different aspects of the feat. Where the English phrase focuses on the victims ('birds'), French emphasizes the result of the strike ('deux coups', meaning two hits or blows). Despite this minor divergence in metaphor, the two idioms are functionally interchangeable in meaning and pragmatic force.
'Faire d'une pierre deux coups' covers the exact same breadth of registers as 'kill two birds with one stone.' It feels entirely natural in casual chats among friends, routine workplace exchanges, and even journalistic prose. As with many classic idioms, attempting a direct translation with 'tuer deux oiseaux' will instantly mark the speaker as a non-native.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity4 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in French?
faire coup double
Literally: “to make a double hit”
A shorter, punchier variant often seen in journalism, sports, and casual speech.
joindre l'utile à l'agréable
Literally: “to join the useful with the pleasant”
Used specifically when one of the two outcomes is practical and the other is fun or enjoyable.
Don't translate it literally
tuer deux oiseaux avec une pierre
A literal word-for-word calque of the English expression that sounds bizarre and unidiomatic to native French speakers.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in French, not as expressions.
In context
English
I can drop the kids off at school and do the grocery shopping on the way back, killing two birds with one stone.
French
Je peux déposer les enfants à l'école et faire les courses en rentrant, ça fera d'une pierre deux coups.
English
Going to the conference allowed her to learn about new trends and network with peers, killing two birds with one stone.
French
Aller à cette conférence lui a permis de découvrir les nouvelles tendances tout en développant son réseau, faisant ainsi d'une pierre deux coups.
Related expressions
- What “Kill two birds with one stone” means in English
- Go the extra mile, To make an extra effort.
- Cut corners, To skimp on quality to save time or money.
Last reviewed 2026-09-11