一箭双雕 – Yi Jian Shuang Diao – Two Birds With One Stone

Chengyu

一箭双雕 – yí jiàn shuāng diāo

Chinese Character Break Down

一 –  one
箭 – arrow
双 – double
雕 – vulture

一箭双雕: One arrow, two vultures

Idiom Meaning

Just like the English “kill two birds with one stone”: Reach two desired results with only one action.

German: Zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen

Chengyu Examples

她的新男朋友不但很帅而且也很有钱，一箭双雕！
tāde xīn nánpéngyou búdàn hěn shuài érqiě yě hěn yǒuqián, yíjiànshuāngdiāo!
Her new boyfriend is not just good-looking but also rich. She killed two birds with one stone!

这样做就可以一箭双雕。
zhèyàng zuò jiù kěyǐ yíjiànshuāngdiāo.
If you do it this way, you can kill two birds with one stone.

Chengyu Story and Background

During the Period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589), there was a witty archer called Cheng Zhangsun. One day, he went hunting with a friend.

When they spotted two vultures in the sky, his friend reached him two arrows and dared him to shoot both vultures. Cheng Zhangsun smiled, only grabbed one, and easily hit both.

I am really curious if it’s a coincidence that we have (almost literally) according proverbs in so many languages. Does anyone have information on how these things happen?