此消彼长
cǐ xiāo bǐ zhǎng
as one declines, the other grows
Character by character
此cǐ
this
this
消xiāo
wane
wane
彼bǐ
that
that
长zhǎng
grow
grow
Example
网购越来越火，商场的生意却越来越差，两者此消彼长。
Online shopping keeps booming while business in the shopping centres keeps falling: as one grows, the other shrinks.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
Used of two forces or quantities moving in opposite directions: rivals, markets, supply and demand. 长 is zhǎng, “to grow”, not cháng. Also written 此长彼消; 彼此 (lesson 6-8) uses the same two characters the other way round.
Learn this in Lesson 177 · HSK 7–9: 一度电的旅程 (The journey of a kilowatt-hour)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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