一いっ長ちょう一いっ短たん

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JLPTN1›Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

merits and demerits; advantages and disadvantages; good points and shortcomings

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)›

Used to describe something that has both strong and weak points; often appears in balanced evaluations.

どの案あんにも一いっ長ちょう一いっ短たんがある。

Every proposal has its merits and demerits.

このシステムには一いっ長ちょう一いっ短たんがあって、導どう入にゅうは簡かん単たんではない。

This system has both advantages and disadvantages, so introducing it is not straightforward.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉には一いっ長ちょう一いっ短たんがあるX has its pros and cons
どの方ほう法ほうにも一いっ長ちょう一いっ短たんがある。
Every method has its own advantages and disadvantages.
〈物もの〉は一いっ長ちょう一いっ短たんだX is a mixed bag (has both merits and demerits)
このアパートは駅えきから近ちかいが家や賃ちんが高たかく、一いっ長ちょう一いっ短たんだ。

Kanji

一one, one radical (no.1)
長long, leader, superior
短short, brevity, fault

Related words

良よし悪あしN1
一長一短 stresses that the same thing has both strong and weak points at once, while 良し悪し more broadly means 'the good and bad (of something)', often used when weighing whether something is good or bad overall.

Don't confuse with

一いっ挙きょ両りょう得とく
一長一短 describes something with mixed good and bad points, whereas 一挙両得 describes gaining two benefits from a single action, with no downside implied.
一いっ喜き一いち憂ゆう
一長一短 and 一喜一憂 share the same 一X一Y yoji pattern but 一長一短 means having both good and bad points, not emotional fluctuation.

Etymology

A yojijukugo composed of 一 (one) + 長 (long, merit) + 一 (one) + 短 (short, demerit), literally 'one merit, one demerit'. The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it follows a common four-character pattern for expressing balanced qualities.

This apartment is close to the station but expensive, so it has both good and bad points.