📖 Meaning
Used to describe something that displays both merits and shortcomings at once. The phrase compares 瑕 (a flaw in jade) with 瑜 (the brilliance of fine jade) appearing together, indicating a balanced mix of strengths and weaknesses rather than pure virtue or pure defect.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Qing dynasty work 《霞外捃屑》(Gleanings Beyond the Rosy Clouds) by the scholar 平步青 (Ping Buqing). In volume seven, while commenting on the prose of 升庵 (Sheng'an, the courtesy name of Ming dynasty scholar 杨慎 Yang Shen), the author observed that both merits and defects were visible in his essays. The expression has since become a standard critical appraisal noting the coexistence of strengths and weaknesses in a person, work, or situation. The modern poet 徐特立 also employed the phrase in his poem 《徐乾三十初度》.
💡 Example Usage
这部影片特效惊艳，但剧情薄弱，总体瑕瑜互见。
The film's visual effects are stunning, yet the plot is thin — overall, it shows both brilliance and flaws.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 瑕瑜互见
- Pinyin: xiá yú hù xiàn
- Literal Translation: flaw, fine jade, mutually, appear
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4