相辅相成
相辅相成 (xiāng fǔ xiāng chéng) literally means “mutually assist mutually complete” and expresses “complement each other; mutually beneficial”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning.
Also searched as: xiang fu xiang cheng, xiang fu xiang cheng,相辅相成 meaning, 相辅相成 in english
Complement each other; mutually beneficial
Pronunciation: xiāng fǔ xiāng chéng Literal meaning: Mutually assist mutually complete
Origin & Usage
Mutually (相) assisting (辅) and mutually (相) completing (成). 辅 is the outer brace on a cart wheel, a piece with no function of its own and without which the wheel fails — so the phrase is stronger than 'complementary'. It claims that neither element is fully itself in the other's absence. Theory and practice, policy and enforcement, two halves of a business — the standard way of saying that an apparent tension is in fact a working relationship.
Examples
English: "Theory and practice complement and enhance each other."
Chinese: 理论与实践相辅相成。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about wisdom & learning
功成名就
gōng chéng míng jiù
Achieve success and fame
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稳操胜券
wěn cāo shèng quàn
Have victory in the bag; be certain to win
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名利双收
míng lì shuāng shōu
Gain both fame and fortune
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自相矛盾
zì xiāng máo dùn
Contradict oneself
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刮目相看
guā mù xiāng kàn
Reassess someone who has improved
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不相上下
bù xiāng shàng xià
Evenly matched with neither superior
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三人成虎
sān rén chéng hǔ
Repeated lie becomes truth
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弄巧成拙
nòng qiǎo chéng zhuō
Outsmart oneself; cleverness backfiring
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 相辅相成 mean in English?
相辅相成 (xiāng fǔ xiāng chéng) literally translates to “Mutually assist mutually complete” and is used to express “Complement each other; mutually beneficial”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 相辅相成 used?
Situation: Theory and practice complement and enhance each other.
What is the pinyin for 相辅相成?
The pinyin pronunciation for 相辅相成 is “xiāng fǔ xiāng chéng”.