禮尚往來

See also: 礼尚往来

Chinese

	gift; propriety; rite	still; yet; to value still; yet; to value; to esteem	to go back and forth; to come and go; to have dealings with to go back and forth; to come and go; to have dealings with; to have contact with; to communicate; to exchange
trad. (禮尚往來)	禮	尚	往來
simp. (礼尚往来)	礼	尚	往来
alternative forms	禮上往來／礼上往来

Etymology

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

太上貴德，其次務施報。禮尚往來。往而不來，非禮也；來而不往，亦非禮也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

太上贵德，其次务施报。礼尚往来。往而不来，非礼也；来而不往，亦非礼也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

Tàishàng guì dé, qícì wù shī bào. Lǐ shàng wǎnglái. Wǎng ér bù lái, fēilǐ yě; lái ér bù wǎng, yì fēilǐ yě. [Pinyin]

In the highest antiquity they prized (simply conferring) good; in the time next to this, giving and repaying was the thing attended to. And what the rules of propriety value is that reciprocity. If I give a gift and nothing comes in return, that is contrary to propriety; if the thing comes to me, and I give nothing in return, that also is contrary to propriety.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): lǐshàngwǎnglái

(Zhuyin): ㄌㄧˇ ㄕㄤˋ ㄨㄤˇ ㄌㄞˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): lai⁵ soeng⁶ wong⁵ loi⁴

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: lǐshàngwǎnglái
  - Zhuyin: ㄌㄧˇ ㄕㄤˋ ㄨㄤˇ ㄌㄞˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: lǐshàngwǎnglái
  - Wade–Giles: li³-shang⁴-wang³-lai²
  - Yale: lǐ-shàng-wǎng-lái
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: liishanqwoanglai
  - Palladius: лишанванлай (lišanvanlaj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /li²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂɑŋ⁵¹ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ laɪ̯³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: lai⁵ soeng⁶ wong⁵ loi⁴
  - Yale: láih seuhng wóhng lòih
  - Cantonese Pinyin: lai⁵ soeng⁶ wong⁵ loi⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: lei⁵ sêng⁶ wong⁵ loi⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɐi̯¹³ sœːŋ²² wɔːŋ¹³ lɔːi̯²¹/

Idiom

禮尚往來

to reciprocate the courtesy shown to you by another; to treat others as you would like to be treated
to reciprocate a gift; to give a gift in return