取长补短
qǔ cháng bǔ duǎn
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1 lit. use others' strengths to make up for one's weak points (idiom from Mencius)
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2 to use this in place of that
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3 what you lose on the swings, you win on the roundabouts
吃人家的嘴软,拿人家的手短
chī rén jiā de zuǐ ruǎn , ná rén jiā de shǒu duǎn
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1 lit. the mouth that has been fed by others is soft, the hand that has received doesn't reach (idiom)
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2 fig. one is partial to those from whom presents have been accepted
张家长,李家短
Zhāng jiā cháng , Lǐ jiā duǎn
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1 lit. the Zhangs are better off than the Lis (idiom); to gossip about the neighbors
截长补短
jié cháng bǔ duǎn
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1 take from the long to supplement the short (idiom)
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2 to offset each other's deficiencies
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3 to complement each other
扬长避短
yáng cháng bì duǎn
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1 to foster strengths and avoid weaknesses (idiom)
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2 to play to one's strengths
昼短夜长
zhòu duǎn yè cháng
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1 the winter days are short and the nights long (idiom)
东家长西家短
dōng jiā cháng xī jiā duǎn
死灰复燃
sǐ huī fù rán
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1 lit. ashes burn once more (idiom); fig. sb lost returns to have influence
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2 sth malevolent returns to haunt one
残年短景
cán nián duǎn jǐng
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1 at the end of the year (idiom)
灰不溜丢
huī bu liū diū
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1 gloomy and dull (idiom)
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2 boring and gray
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3 unpleasantly murky
灰头土脸
huī tóu tǔ liǎn
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1 head and face filthy with grime (idiom)
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2 covered in dirt
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3 dejected and depressed
灰飞烟灭
huī fēi yān miè
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1 lit. scattered ashes and dispersed smoke (idiom)
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2 fig. to be annihilated
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3 to vanish in a puff of smoke
争长论短
zhēng cháng lùn duǎn
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1 lit. to argue who is right and wrong (idiom); to quibble
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2 a storm in a teacup
短中抽长
duǎn zhōng chōu cháng
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1 to make the best of a bad job
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2 to make the best use of limited resources (idiom)
短兵相接
duǎn bīng xiāng jiē
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1 lit. short-weaponed soldiery fight one another (idiom); fierce hand-to-hand infantry combat
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2 to fight at close quarters
短小精悍
duǎn xiǎo jīng hàn
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1 (of a person) short but plucky (idiom)
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2 (of an article) concise and forceful
万念俱灰
wàn niàn jù huī
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1 every hope turns to dust (idiom); completely disheartened
说长道短
shuō cháng dào duǎn
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1 lit. to discuss sb's merits and demerits (idiom); to gossip
论长道短
lùn cháng dào duǎn
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1 lit. to discuss sb's merits and demerits (idiom); to gossip
长吁短叹
cháng xū duǎn tàn
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1 long moan and short gasp (idiom); continually moaning and groaning in pain