有理有据

[Pedroski]

报告中的每一个结论都要有理有据，着才是对客户负责。

 

‘要有理有据’ = ‘must have hand and foot' ?? Does that catch the Chinese meaning??

[fanglu]

I don't know what ‘must have hand and foot' means in English, sorry, but the meaning of the original is 'must be reasonable and justified'.

[skylee]

It is the same structure as 有手有腳 -

有理據 -> 有理有據 Example - 這推斷有理有據
有手腳 -> 有手有腳 Example - 有手有腳就能謀生

For emphasis.

[Pedroski]

'must be reasonable and justified' is correct.

 

结论都要有理有据 = the conclusions drawn must be solid

 

I think 有手有腳 has slightly different connotations, referring more to the ability to work or simply being able-bodied, whereas  ‘must have hand and foot' means, to me, 'must be solid and complete', at least in its figurative use, which is almost the only use.

[imron]

whereas  ‘must have hand and foot' means, to me, 'must be solid and complete', at least in its figurative use, which is almost the only use.

Would you ever use such an expression in English?  I certainly never would and I can't say I've ever heard it being used before.

[陳德聰]

Yeah gonna throw another hand up for the "what does 'have hand and foot' mean?" club.

[Pedroski]

You are right, it's German! Sorry about that. That's what you get when you ask English from Chinese questions whilst preparing a German lesson. My brain (brain? what brain?) just diverted German  into English.

 

Funny that Chinese also has 有手有脚