What it means
با یک تیر دو نشان (bâ yek tir do neshân) describes accomplishing two goals with a single action or effort. Every word is pure Persian: با (with), یک (one), تیر (arrow), دو (two), نشان (target, mark). The idiom is the precise Persian equivalent of the English phrase “kill two birds with one stone,” though the Persian image comes from archery rather than hunting with rocks. It pairs naturally with زدن (to hit) in full sentences: با یک تیر دو نشان زد (bâ yek tir do neshân zad), meaning he achieved both at once.
How to use it
- با یک تیر دو نشان زدیم: هم کار تموم شد، هم وقت گردش داشتیم. (bâ yek tir do neshân zadim: ham kâr tamum shod, ham vaqt-e gardesh dâshtim.) “We hit two birds with one stone: finished work and had time for a walk.”
- اگه اونجا بری، با یک تیر دو نشان میزنی. (age oon-jâ beri, bâ yek tir do neshân mi-zani.) “If you go there, you’ll take care of two things at once.”
- اون خرید با یک تیر دو نشان بود: هم هدیه، هم برای خودم. (oon kharid bâ yek tir do neshân bud: ham hadye, ham barâye khodam.) “That purchase was a two-for-one: a gift and something for me.”
- هوشمندانه بود که با یک تیر دو نشان زد. (hoshmandâne bud ke bâ yek tir do neshân zad.) “It was clever of him to accomplish both at once.”
Cultural note
Archery imagery runs deep in Persian culture, from epic poetry like the Shahnameh to practical military history. Hitting two targets with a single arrow was the mark of an exceptional archer, making this idiom a compliment built into its structure. Today it is used approvingly, often with a note of admiration for whoever managed to be so efficient or strategic.