此消彼长 (cǐ xiāo bǐ cháng) — (verb phrase) one declines while the other flou…

Definition

A four-character idiom for a trade-off or zero-sum pattern: as one side falls, the other rises. Used in formal writing, often as 呈∼之势 or ∼关系.

verb

(verb phrase) one declines while the other flourishesa seesaw relationship

，此消彼长。
Zài shì chǎng jìng zhēng zhōng, qǐ yè de lì rùn wǎng wǎng chéng cǐ xiāo bǐ cháng zhī shì.
In market competition, companies' profits often show a pattern of one rising while the other falls.
此消彼长，。
Zhè liǎng gè guó jiā de jūn shì shí lì cǐ xiāo bǐ cháng, hěn nán pàn duàn shuí gèng qiáng.
The military power of these two countries fluctuates—one declines while the other grows—making it hard to judge which is stronger.
，此消彼长。
Jīng jì zhōu qī zhōng, tōng zhàng yǔ shī yè lǜ chéng cǐ xiāo bǐ cháng guān xì.
In the economic cycle, inflation and unemployment have a seesaw relationship.

Characters in this word

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

此 shows 止 (feet) and 人 (person), drawing a person stopping, to mean 'this' or 'here.'

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

氵肖消

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

肖

Same sound today

消 has 氵 (water) beside 肖. The water part connects to putting out or making something vanish, and 肖 gives the sound.

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

彳皮彼

Meaning part形符xíngfú

彳彳chì

Sound part声符shēngfú

皮

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 彳 points to the meaning, and the right part 皮 gives the sound.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.