双管齐下

雙管齊下

shuāngguǎnqíxià

idiom #31,445

Meanings

1 to work on two tasks simultaneously (idiom)
2 to attack a problem from two angles at once
3 a two-pronged approach

Characters

together; simultaneously

to move down; to apply

Examples

治疗这种病要双管齐下，药物加上锻炼。

Zhìliáo zhè zhǒng bìng yào shuāngguǎnqíxià, yàowù jiāshàng duànliàn.

Treating this illness requires a two-pronged approach: medication plus exercise.

我们双管齐下，一边宣传，一边调查。

Wǒmen shuāngguǎnqíxià, yībiān xuānchuán, yībiān diàochá.

We work on both fronts at once, publicizing while investigating.

政府双管齐下，既控制疫情，又恢复经济。

Zhèngfǔ shuāngguǎnqíxià, jì kòngzhì yìqíng, yòu huīfù jīngjì.

The government tackles two issues at once: controlling the epidemic while reviving the economy.

Tips

history

From Song painter Guo Ruoxu's 《图画见闻志·故事拾遗》 about Tang painter Zhang Zao, who could hold two brushes at once (手握双管一时齐下) — painting a living branch with one and a withered trunk with the other simultaneously. The phrase moved from painting technique to any dual-track strategy.

usage

Positive — implies clever efficiency. Common in business, policy, and medical contexts. Often pairs with 一边...一边... or 既...又... to spell out the two prongs.

Stroke Order

双 shuāng

管 guǎn

齐 qí

下 xià