左右开弓 (zuǒ yòu kāi gōng) — to do two things at the same time; to be ambidextrous; to strike on both sides

Definition

A vivid chengyu for doing two things at once with both hands. Literally "drawing the bow on both sides," it describes efficient multitasking, especially with the hands.

idiom
to do two things at the same timeto be ambidextrousto strike on both sides

Examples

  • ，左右开弓。
    Tā gōng zuò hěn máng, cháng cháng zuǒ yòu kāi gōng yì biān dǎ diàn huà yì biān xiě bào gào.
    He is very busy at work and often does two things at once — talking on the phone and writing a report.
  • 左右开弓，。
    Zhè ge qiú yuán zuǒ yòu kāi gōng, zuǒ shǒu hé yòu shǒu tóu lán dōu hěn zhǔn.
    This player is ambidextrous — he shoots accurately with both his left and right hand.
  • 左右开弓，。
    Mā ma zuǒ yòu kāi gōng, yì shǒu bào hái zi yì shǒu zuò fàn.
    Mom does two things at once — holding the baby with one hand and cooking with the other.

Origin

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
工工gōngwork
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂇
𠂇𠂇左zuǒ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

左 grew from the picture 𠂇, a left hand, with 工 (work) added later.

Open 左 →

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
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu右yòu
Same sound today

右 is made from 又, which supplied the sound, with 口 added as a distinguishing mark.

Open 右 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 開; 开 is its simplified writing.

  • 門門méndoor
  • 一一yīlatch and/or wooden pole that shuts a door
  • 廾廾gǒnga pair of hands

The traditional form 開 shows 廾, a pair of hands, and 一, a latch or pole, inside 門, a door: hands opening a latched door. The simplified 开 is a shorthand form, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 开 →

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

The shape of 弓 is a picture of a bow.

Open 弓 →

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