| 取长补短 |
qǔ cháng bǔ duǎn |
lit. use others' strengths to make up for one's weak points (idiom from Mencius) / to use this in place of that / what you lose on the swings, you win on the roundabouts |
| 取 |
qǔ |
to take / to get / to choose / to fetch |
| 长 |
cháng |
length / long / forever / always / constantly |
| 长 |
zhǎng |
chief / head / elder / to grow / to develop / to increase / to enhance |
| 补 |
bǔ |
to repair / to patch / to mend / to make up for / to fill (a vacancy) / to supplement |
| 短 |
duǎn |
short / brief / to lack / weak point / fault |