Best laid plans Meaning in English

expression

US

BEST-layd-PLANZ

UK

BEST-layd-PLANZ

Definition

This expression means that even when you plan carefully, things can still go wrong. It's often used to express disappointment or surprise when things don't happen as expected.

Usage & Nuances

Informal, often used with a tone of resignation or humor. Comes from ‘The best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry.’ Not a literal phrase—used to reflect on life's unpredictability. Commonly appears as 'the best laid plans', sometimes extended to the full saying.

• Spanish: los mejores planes (a menudo salen mal)
• Portuguese (BR): os melhores planos (frequentemente dão errado)
• Portuguese (PT): os melhores planos (muitas vezes correm mal)
• Chinese (Simplified): 再周密的计划（也可能失败）
• Chinese (Traditional): 再周密的計劃（也可能失敗）
• Hindi: सबसे अच्छी योजनाएँ (भी अक्सर विफल हो जाती हैं)
• Arabic: أفضل الخطط (قد تفشل أيضاً)
• Bengali: সবচেয়ে সুন্দর পরিকল্পনাও ব্যর্থ হতে পারে - ভালো করে সাজানো পরিকল্পনা (কখনো কখনো)
• Russian: лучшие планы могут пойти наперекосяк - даже самые продуманные планы (часто)
• Japanese: いくら計画を立てても上手くいかないことがある - 周到な計画も失敗することがある
• Vietnamese: kế hoạch hoàn hảo nhất cũng có thể thất bại - mọi tính toán đều có thể hỏng
• Korean: 아무리 잘 세운 계획도 틀어질 수 있다 - 치밀하게 세운 계획도 어긋날 수 있다
• Turkish: en iyi planlar bile boşa gidebilir - en güzel planlar suya düşebilir
• Urdu: بہترین منصوبے بھی ناکام ہو سکتے ہیں - بہت سوچ سمجھ کر بنائے گئے منصوبے بھی اکثر ناکام ہوتے ہیں
• Indonesian: rencana terbaik pun bisa gagal - sebaik apa pun rencana tetap bisa meleset

Example Sentences

All our best laid plans for the picnic were ruined by the rain.

basic

Sometimes even the best laid plans do not work out.

basic

My best laid plans to study fell apart when my friend visited.

basic

Best laid plans, huh? I guess that meeting will have to wait.

natural

You know, best laid plans never survive first contact with reality.

natural

Well, so much for our best laid plans—let's just improvise.

natural