拾級而上

Chinese

			and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	up; on; on top up; on; on top; upon; first; previous or last; upper; higher; above; previous; to climb; to go into; to go up
trad. (拾級而上)		拾級	而	上
simp. (拾级而上)		拾级	而	上

Etymology

From the Book of Rites, Book 1 (《禮記·曲禮上》):

主人與客讓登，主人先登，客從之，拾級聚足，連步以上。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

主人与客让登，主人先登，客从之，拾级聚足，连步以上。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Zhǔrén yǔ kè ràng dēng, zhǔrén xiān dēng, kè cóng zhī, shèjí jùzú, lián bù yǐ shàng. [Pinyin]

They then offer to each other the precedence in going up, but the host commences first, followed (immediately) by the other. They bring their feet together on every step, thus ascending by successive paces.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): shèjí'érshàng

(Zhuyin): ㄕㄜˋ ㄐㄧˊ ㄦˊ ㄕㄤˋ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: shèjí'érshàng
  - Zhuyin: ㄕㄜˋ ㄐㄧˊ ㄦˊ ㄕㄤˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: shèjí-érshàng
  - Wade–Giles: shê⁴-chi²-êrh²-shang⁴
  - Yale: shè-jí-ér-shàng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shehjyierlshanq
  - Palladius: шэцзиэршан (šɛczieršan)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂɤ⁵¹ t͡ɕi³⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʂɑŋ⁵¹/

Idiom

拾級而上

to walk slowly up a flight of steps