有利有弊

yǒulì-yǒubì
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to have both advantages and disadvantages
  2. 2 a double-edged sword
  3. 3 pros and cons

Examples

HSK 4
Wǎngluò gòuwù yǒulì-yǒubì, fāngbiàn de tóngshí yě cúnzài fēngxiǎn.
Online shopping has advantages and disadvantages - it's convenient but also carries risks.
HSK 7-9
Zài dàchéngshì gōngzuò yǒulì-yǒubì, yào kàn nǐ zěnme quánhéng.
Working in a big city has both pros and cons - it depends on how you weigh them.
HSK 7-9
Fánshì dōu yǒulì-yǒubì, bùnéng zhǐ kàn hǎo de yímiàn.
Everything has pros and cons - you can't just look at the good side.

Tips

usage
Common opener for balanced analysis in essays, reports, and debates. Often followed by 关键在于... ('the key lies in...') to introduce how to weigh the trade-off.
memory
Parallel structure: 有利 (have benefit) + 有弊 (have drawback). The doubled drives home that both exist simultaneously.

Stroke Order

yǒu