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To carefully consider and balance the advantages (利) and disadvantages (弊), gains (得) and losses (失) of a decision or action before making a choice.
公司高层权衡利弊得失后决定裁员以渡过难关。
After weighing the pros and cons, the company's senior management decided to lay off employees to weather the crisis.
选择工作时，她权衡利弊得失，最终选择了薪资较低但发展前景更好的公司。
When choosing a job, she weighed the pros and cons and ultimately selected the company with lower pay but better growth prospects.
Often used in business, personal decision-making, or policy-making contexts to emphasize thorough evaluation.
Use '权衡利弊得失' when describing a decision that requires balancing multiple factors (e.g., financial, ethical, or strategic considerations). It is more formal than '考虑一下' (think about it) and implies a thorough process.
Do not translate this idiom word-for-word (e.g., 'balance advantages and disadvantages gains and losses'). Instead, use natural English equivalents like 'weigh the pros and cons' or 'balance the gains and losses'.
The phrase combines four Chinese characters: '权衡' (quánhéng, to weigh/balance) + '利弊' (lìbì, advantages and disadvantages) + '得失' (déshī, gains and losses). Historically used in classical Chinese texts to describe the act of careful deliberation in governance or personal matters. The modern usage retains the classical meaning but is more commonly applied to everyday decisions.
This idiom is typically used in formal or written contexts. It implies a deliberate, rational process rather than impulsive action. Avoid using it for trivial or everyday choices (e.g., not for 'choosing between tea or coffee').