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旗鼓相当 (qí gǔ xiāng dāng) — evenly matched, comparable in strength or ability

Definition

A formal chengyu meaning two sides are evenly matched — equally strong in ability or power, with no clear winner. Often used for competitors (teams, companies, rivals) rather than people in daily talk.

idiom
evenly matched, comparable in strength or ability

Examples

  • 旗鼓相当，。
    Zhè liǎng zhī qiú duì qí gǔ xiāng dāng, shuí yíng dōu hěn nán shuō.
    These two teams are evenly matched — it's hard to say who will win.
  • 旗鼓相当，。
    Tā men liǎ de qí yì qí gǔ xiāng dāng, měi pán qí dōu xià dé hěn jī liè.
    Their chess skills are comparable; every game is fiercely contested.
  • 旗鼓相当，。
    Liǎng gè gōng sī zài jì shù shàng qí gǔ xiāng dāng, hé zuò bǐ jìng zhēng gèng yǒu lì.
    The two companies are evenly matched in technology — cooperation is more beneficial than competition.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

旗鼓flags and drums
旗qíflag鼓gǔdrum
联合Coordinate
相当match each other
相xiāngmutually当dāngmatch
偏正Modifier + head

旗鼓 means flags and drums, and 相当 says they match each other, so both sides are evenly matched.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
㫃㫃㫃flag
Sound part声符shēngfú
其
其qí旗qí
Same sound today

旗 pairs 㫃, a flag, with 其, which gives the pronunciation qí.

Open 旗 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 壴壴zhùdrum
  • 支支zhīhand holding drumstick

鼓 combines 壴, a drum, with 支, a hand holding a drumstick, so the character pictures a drum being struck.

Open 鼓 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In 相, 目 is an eye and 木 is a tree, showing an eye looking at a tree; this originally meant “to observe.”

Open 相 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 當; 当 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng當dāng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 當 combines 田 (field) with 尚; the evidence describes fields facing each other.

Open 当 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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