📖 Meaning
Two or more things complement each other perfectly, bringing out the best in one another. When paired together, each element enhances the other's strengths, resulting in an effect greater than the sum of its parts.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from Han Yu's (韩愈) classical essay "送杨寘序" (Preface to Sending Off Yang Zhi) in the Tang Dynasty. The original phrase was "相得而益彰," describing how different people or things, when combined, make each other's merits more prominent and vivid.
💡 Example Usage
咖啡和巧克力的搭配真是相得益彰，苦与甜的味道完美融合。
Coffee and chocolate complement each other perfectly, blending their bitter and sweet flavors seamlessly.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 相得益彰
- Pinyin: xiāng dé yì zhāng
- Literal Translation: each other, obtain, further, manifest
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4