各有千秋 (gè yǒu qiān qiū) — each has its own merits (idiom)

Definition

Idiom meaning 'each has its own strengths' — used to compare two or more things fairly, saying none is clearly better.

idiom
each has its own merits (idiom)

Examples

  • 各有千秋，，。
    Tā men liǎng gè gè yǒu qiān qiū, yí gè shì yīn yuè tiān cái, yí gè shì yùn dòng jiàn jiàng.
    The two of them each have their own merits; one is a music prodigy and the other is an athlete.
  • 各有千秋，。
    Zhè liǎng gè fāng àn gè yǒu qiān qiū, hěn nán xuǎn.
    These two plans each have their own strengths, so it's hard to choose.
  • 各有千秋，。
    Zhōng guó dà xué hé guó wài dà xué gè yǒu qiān qiū, guān jiàn kàn nǐ xiǎng xué shén me.
    Chinese universities and foreign universities each have their own advantages; it depends on what you want to study.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

各 shows a sole of a foot (夂) coming into an entrance (口), for the sense of coming or entering.

Open 各 →

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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
一一yīone, signifying a number
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén千qiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

千 pairs 人, whose sound was similar, with 一, a number stroke; the extra line was explained as extension, and a thousand is a number reached by extending counting.

Open 千 →

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
禾禾hégrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
𤒅
𤒅𤒅秋qiū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape 秋 pairs 禾 (grain) with 𤒅, which gives the sound.

Open 秋 →

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