yī一oneshí石stoneèr二twoniǎo鸟birds
Kill two birds with one stone — accomplish two things with one action.
Literal meaning
one (一) — stone (石) — two (二) — birds (鸟)
Origin
A relatively modern Chinese four-character phrase, partly a calque from the English idiom. Has become standard in business and policy writing for efficient multi-purpose actions. The native Chinese variant is 一举两得.
Examples
Zhège fāng'àn yī shí èr niǎo, shěng qián yòu shěng shíjiān.这个方案一石二鸟，省钱又省时间。
This plan kills two birds with one stone — saves money and time.
Tā她bān搬dào到gōng公sī司fù附jìn近，yī一shí石èr二niǎo鸟。
She moved closer to the office — two birds, one stone.
Usage & nuances
Approachable register, comfortable in everyday speech and business writing.
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