"One Stone, Two Birds" literally means "hitting two birds with one stone," a metaphor for achieving two goals through a single action, similar in meaning to "one move, two gains." This idiom originates from the Buddhist Zen text Xu Deng Lu (Continued Record of the Lamp), where it was originally used as a cryptic saying by Zen monks and later evolved into an everyday idiom. Its deeper meaning emphasizes efficiency and strategy: through a carefully designed single action, one obtains dual benefits, saving resources while improving effectiveness. It is widely used to describe clever arrangements in work, study, business, or daily life, such as "By participating in the competition, I both honed my skills and won a prize—truly killing two birds with one stone." Culturally, it reflects the traditional Chinese admiration for wisdom and the pursuit of achieving twice the result with half the effort. Its emotional tone leans positive, often carrying praise or a sense of satisfaction, though it can also be used in neutral descriptions. Note that this idiom emphasizes deliberate planning rather than accidental coincidence, and is therefore mostly used for conscious actions.
📝 Example
1. He chose to review at the library, where he could study quietly and enjoy the air conditioning—truly killing two birds with one stone. (In this sentence, it means achieving both studying and enjoying the cool air at the same time.)
2. The company launched this new product, which both met the needs of existing customers and attracted new users—one could call it killing two birds with one stone. (In this sentence, it means one move achieving two market effects.)