两全其美 — “To satisfy both sides”
两全其美 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to satisfy both sides”. To have the best of both worlds; to achieve a win-win situation. Literally, “Both complete and beautiful”.
Frequency
两全其美 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 两liǎng
- 全quán
- 其qí
- 美měi
两全其美 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 两全其美
如果能找到一份既能发挥我的特长，又能照顾家庭的工作，那真是两全其美了。
If I could find a job that allows me to utilize my skills and also take care of my family, that would truly be the best of both worlds.
Origin and Story of 两全其美
During the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Dong Zhuo seized control of the imperial court. Situ Wang Yun conspired with his adopted daughter Diao Chan to devise a plan to eliminate Dong Zhuo.
Wang Yun first arranged Diao Chan's marriage to Lu Bu. Lu Bu was delighted, thinking it was a perfect match of a hero and a beauty, a truly '两全其美' (win-win) situation.
However, Wang Yun then presented Diao Chan to Dong Zhuo, intentionally creating conflict between Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu.
Eventually, Lu Bu plotted and successfully assassinated Dong Zhuo in the palace.
Idioms Related to 两全其美
Synonyms of 两全其美
Antonyms of 两全其美
More idioms starting with 两
- liǎng两shì世wéi为rén人to feel reborn after surviving danger
- liǎng两liǎng两sān三sān三in small groups
- liǎng两xiāng厢qíng情yuàn愿both parties willing
- liǎng两yè叶yǎn掩mù目deluded by trivialities
- liǎng两guó国jiāo交bīng兵，，bù不zhǎn斩lái来shǐ使Do not harm messengers in war
- liǎng两guó国xiāng相zhàn战，，bù不zhǎn斩lái来shǐ使Do not harm envoys even in war
- liǎng两tóu头sān三xù绪conflicting thoughts and worries
- liǎng两tóu头sān三miàn面two-faced and inconsistent
- liǎng两tóu头hé和fān番stir up trouble between two parties
- liǎng两tóu头dān担xīn心worried about both ends
- liǎng两tóu头bái白miàn面Deceive both parties to gain favor
- liǎng两xiǎo小wú无cāi猜innocent childhood sweethearts
Questions about 两全其美
- What does 两全其美 mean?
- 两全其美 (liǎng quán qí měi) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to satisfy both sides”.
- How do you pronounce 两全其美?
- 两全其美 is pronounced liǎng quán qí měi in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 两全其美 literally mean?
- Literally, 两全其美 means “Both complete and beautiful”. It is used to mean “to satisfy both sides”.
- Where does 两全其美 come from?
- 两全其美 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 两全其美?
- 美：美好。指做一件事顾全到双方，使两方面都得到好处。