Chinese idiom · 成语
一举两得
Meaning
One move, two gains; dual benefits.
Character by character
Origin and story
Fable in a political argumentIn Zhanguo Ce (戰國策), Qin Strategies II, Chen Zhen advises the king of Qin through a story about two tigers fighting over a person. Guan Zhuangzi is about to attack them, but Guan Yu urges him to wait: one tiger will be killed and the other wounded, making it possible to overcome both with one effort. The analogy supports a political argument about acting after rival states have weakened each other.
The text describes gaining both tigers in a single action rather than using the exact four-character form. A related formulation appears in Dongguan Hanji's biography of Geng Yan, and the exact idiom is recorded in Jin Shu's biography of Shu Xi. Modern use emphasizes two benefits from one action, without necessarily implying conflict.
In everyday life
骑车去上班，既省车费又能锻炼身体，真是一举两得。
Cycling to work saves fares and provides exercise—two benefits from one activity.
Name two distinct benefits, rather than merely describing an efficient action.