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
天衣无缝
tiān yī wú fèng
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1 lit. seamless heavenly clothes (idiom)
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2 fig. flawless
宵衣旰食
xiāo yī gàn shí
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1 to dress before light and not eat before dark (idiom)
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2 diligently attending to official matters
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
残年短景
cán nián duǎn jǐng
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1 at the end of the year (idiom)
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
牛衣对泣
niú yī duì qì
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1 couple living in destitute misery (idiom)
白衣苍狗
bái yī cāng gǒu
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1 lit. (cloud shapes) changing from a white shirt to a gray dog (idiom)
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2 fig. the unpredictable changeability of the world
相体裁衣
xiàng tǐ cái yī
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1 lit. tailor the clothes to fit the body (idiom); fig. act according to real circumstances
看菜吃饭,量体裁衣
kān cài chī fàn , liáng tǐ cái yī
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1 eat depending on the dish, cut cloth according to the body (idiom); to fit the appetite to the dishes and the dress to the figure
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2 to act according to actual circumstances
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3 to live within one's means
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
节衣缩食
jié yī suō shí
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1 to save on food and clothing (idiom); to live frugally
缩衣节食
suō yī jié shí
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1 to economize on clothes and food
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2 to scrimp and save (idiom)