Chinese idiom · 成语
相辅相成
Meaning
Mutually aiding, mutually forming; complementary success.
Character by character
Origin and story
Literary usageThis phrase describes different elements helping and completing one another, not merely existing side by side. The Ministry of Education dictionary also records the form 相辅而成. Neither entry establishes a particular ancient tale or a passage in the Book of Changes as its origin.
An exact modern attestation appears in linguist Lü Shuxiang's note for a reprint of Zhong Guo Wen Fa Yao Lü. Discussing two approaches to writing, he observes that each has strengths and limitations and that they complement one another. That example illustrates the expression's central idea: different contributions can work together without one having to replace or defeat the other.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
这份说明书的图片和文字相辅相成，看起来很容易懂。
The pictures and text in this manual complement each other, making it easy to understand.
Two elements support and strengthen one another.