竹篮挑水，两头空竹籃挑水，兩頭空竹籃挑水，兩頭空

carrying water in bamboo baskets on a pole: both ends empty

Saying俗语俗語

Two-part saying歇后语歇後語 · Widely known

Meaning: Gaining nothing on either side; coming away empty-handed.
Wordplay: 两头 (liǎngtóu) means both the two ends of the carrying pole and the two sides of a matter.

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Simplified: 竹篮挑水，两头空
Traditional (Taiwan): 竹籃挑水，兩頭空
Pinyin: zhúlán tiāo shuǐ, liǎngtóu kōng
Bopomofo: ㄓㄨˊ ㄌㄢˊ ㄊㄧㄠㄕㄨㄟˇ，ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄊㄡˊ ㄎㄨㄥ

Written with HSK 5 vocabulary, at CEFR level B2.

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