此消彼长 (cǐ xiāo bǐ cháng) — (verb phrase) one declines while the other flourishes; a seesaw relationship

Definition

Examples

• 在市场竞争中，企业的利润往往呈此消彼长之势。
  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.
• 这两个国家的军事实力此消彼长，很难判断谁更强。
  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.
• 经济周期中，通胀与失业率呈此消彼长关系。
  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.