Kanji quizzes for the joy of reading
How do you read 一長一短 in Japanese?
Both advantages and drawbacks.
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Think of your answer before you look.
HINTShow hint
People or things can have good points as well as limitations. 長 and 短 form a contrasting pair.
More on radicals and this quiz’s stroke counts
Describe the shapes you see
You do not need to know the radical’s name. Try these searches for this quiz’s characters.
kanji with 矢 beside 豆
Japanese four-character idiom containing 長 and 短
一長一 missing character strengths and weaknesses
These searches describe visual similarities, not formal radicals or character components.
一: 1 strokes; radical 一 (one). 長: 8 strokes; radical 長 (long). 一: 1 strokes; radical 一 (one). 短: 12 strokes; radical 矢 (arrow). Distinguish informal descriptions of the shape from the dictionary radical.
一1 strokes / radical: 一 (one)
長8 strokes / radical: 長 (long)
一1 strokes / radical: 一 (one)
短12 strokes / radical: 矢 (arrow)
Stroke counts and radicals follow the Japanese dictionary Kanjipedia; other dictionaries may differ.
Kanjipedia「一」 ／ Kanjipedia「長」 ／ Kanjipedia「一」 ／ Kanjipedia「短」
ANSWERShow answerHide answer
The answer is
いっちょういったん
itchōittan
一長一短
Understand the meaning
English translationHaving both strengths and weaknesses
Having advantages as well as disadvantages. It is useful when comparing tools or methods that each offer benefits but also have limitations.
See it in a sentence
小さな鞄は軽く、大きな鞄は本を多く入れられるので、どちらにも一長一短がある。The small bag is light, while the large one holds more books, so each has its strengths and weaknesses.
A way to remember
Connect 長 with strengths and 短 with weaknesses. Notice the small っ in both itchō and ittan: each marks a brief consonant hold.
Sources：Kanjipedia: 一長一短 ／ Kanjipedia: 一朝一夕
The explanation draws on the sources below. Examples were written for this page.
Explore the word further
Name the points you are comparing
Instead of merely saying that both have pros and cons, name the criteria: price, portability, or available features. This makes the comparison useful.
例：二つの会場には一長一短があるため、今回は駅からの近さを優先して選んだ。
Both venues had advantages and drawbacks, so this time we chose based on proximity to the station.
Keep it distinct from 一朝一夕
一長一短 concerns strengths and weaknesses. The similar-sounding 一朝一夕 means a very short period. Distinguish comparisons of qualities from discussions of how long something takes.
References for this explanation：Kanjipedia: 一長一短 ／ Kanjipedia: 一朝一夕
Explanation checked on 2026-10-25. Additional examples were written by DuraRing for this page.
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