尺有所短，寸有所長

Chinese

		a Chinese foot (M); one-third of a metre; a ruler a Chinese foot (M); one-third of a metre; a ruler; a note musical note on traditional Chinese scale	to have; there is; there are to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be	actually; place; (nominalization prefix)	lack; short		a unit of length	to have; there is; there are to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be	actually; place; (nominalization prefix)	long; length; forever long; length; forever; always; constantly; chief; head; elder; to grow; to develop
trad. (尺有所短，寸有所長)		尺	有	所	短	，	寸	有	所	長
simp. (尺有所短，寸有所长)		尺	有	所	短	，	寸	有	所	长

Etymology

From Chuci:

夫尺有所短，寸有所長，物有所不足，智有所不明，數有所不逮，神有所不通。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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夫尺有所短，寸有所长，物有所不足，智有所不明，数有所不逮，神有所不通。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Verses of Chu, 4^th century BCE – 2^nd century CE

Fū chǐ yǒu suǒ duǎn, cùn yǒu suǒ cháng, wù yǒu suǒ bùzú, zhì yǒu suǒ bùmíng, shù yǒusuǒ bùdài, shén yǒusuǒ bùtōng. [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): chǐ yǒu suǒ duǎn, cùn yǒu suǒ cháng

  (Zhuyin): ㄔˇ ㄧㄡˇ ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄉㄨㄢˇ , ㄘㄨㄣˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄔㄤˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): cek³ jau⁵ so² dyun², cyun³ jau⁵ so² coeng⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chǐ yǒu suǒ duǎn, cùn yǒu suǒ cháng [Phonetic: chíyóusuóduǎn,cùnyóusuǒcháng]
    • Zhuyin: ㄔˇ ㄧㄡˇ ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄉㄨㄢˇ , ㄘㄨㄣˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄔㄤˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chǐh yǒu suǒ duǎn, cùn yǒu suǒ cháng
    • Wade–Giles: chʻih³ yu³ so³ tuan³, tsʻun⁴ yu³ so³ chʻang²
    • Yale: chř yǒu swǒ dwǎn-, tswùn yǒu swǒ cháng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chyy yeou suoo doan, tsuenn yeou suoo charng
    • Palladius: чи ю со дуань, цунь ю со чан (či ju so duanʹ, cunʹ ju so čan)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩²¹⁴⁻³⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ tu̯än²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰu̯ən⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: cek³ jau⁵ so² dyun², cyun³ jau⁵ so² coeng⁴
    • Yale: chek yáuh só dyún, chyun yáuh só chèuhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsek⁸ jau⁵ so² dyn², tsyn³ jau⁵ so² tsoeng⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: cég³ yeo⁵ so² dün², qun³ yeo⁵ so² cêng⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɛːk̚³ jɐu̯¹³ sɔː³⁵ tyːn³⁵ t͡sʰyːn³³ jɐu̯¹³ sɔː³⁵ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹/

Proverb

尺有所短，寸有所長

1. everyone has their strengths and weaknesses