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]

Sometimes a foot may lack the strength,
While an inch is just fit in length,
Things have their flaws, and the wise may
Sometimes prove to be dim in sight.
Divining may not all reveal;
All oracles not be applied.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): chǐyǒusuǒduǎn, cùnyǒusuǒcháng

  (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: chǐyǒusuǒduǎn, cùnyǒusuǒcháng [Phonetic: chíyóusuóduǎn,cùnyóusuǒcháng]
    • Zhuyin: ㄔˇ ㄧㄡˇ ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄉㄨㄢˇ , ㄘㄨㄣˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄔㄤˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chǐhyǒusuǒduǎn, cùnyǒusuǒcháng
    • Wade–Giles: chʻih³-yu³-so³-tuan³, tsʻun⁴-yu³-so³-chʻang²
    • Yale: chř-yǒu-swǒ-dwǎn-, tswùn-yǒu-swǒ-cháng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chyyyeousuoodoan, tsuennyeousuoocharng
    • Palladius: чиюсодуань, цуньюсочан (čijusoduanʹ, cunʹjusočan)
    • 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. (figurative) everyone has their weak points as well as their strong ones; Everybody has their own merits and demerits