兼顾

• Pinyin: jiān gù
• Hanzi breakdown: 兼 = multiple items held simultaneously (concurrent); 顾 = 雇 + 页 (turning one's head to look after and attend to something)

Meaning

To give consideration to both; to attend to all sides simultaneously; to balance multiple concerns or priorities.

Used when someone or something manages to take care of multiple competing demands, interests, or responsibilities at the same time. Common in policy discourse (兼顾效率与公平 — balancing efficiency and equity), work-life discussions (兼顾家庭与事业), and management contexts. Implies a deliberate balancing act rather than natural ease.

Examples

1. 政策制定者需要兼顾经济发展与环境保护两方面的需求。 Policymakers need to balance the needs of economic development and environmental protection.
2. 她努力兼顾工作与家庭，但感到分身乏术。 She tries to balance work and family, but feels stretched too thin.
3. 设计方案要兼顾功能性与美观性，两者缺一不可。 A design plan must balance functionality and aesthetics; neither can be missing.

Usage Guide

Context: policy, management, work-life balance, design, planning, academic discourse

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 社会政策顶层设计中，如何兼顾短期民生与长期改革，是绕不开的核心命题，偏废任何一方都易积累矛盾。(In the top-level design of social policy, how to balance short-term livelihood needs with long-term reform is an unavoidable core issue, and neglecting either side easily creates accumulated contradictions.)
• 企业绩效体系应兼顾个人贡献与团队协作，既奖励高绩效者，也避免过度竞争侵蚀合作与凝聚力。(A company's performance system should balance individual contribution and teamwork, rewarding high performers while avoiding excessive competition that erodes cooperation and cohesion.)

Don't Say

• 兼顾 implies a deliberate balancing act between two or more competing demands — do not use it when only one thing is being attended to. 兼顾 suggests tension and effort in the balancing; if something is easy to combine, use 结合 or 融合. Avoid confusing 兼顾 (attend to multiple things) with 照顾 (to look after or care for a person).

Origin & History

兼 (to hold concurrently; simultaneously) + 顾 (to look back; to attend to; to consider — 雇 hire/turn + 页 head — turning the head to look after)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal