礼尚往来
lǐ shàng wǎng lái
Pinyin

Definition

礼尚往来
 - 
lǐ shàng wǎng lái
  1. lit. proper behavior is based on reciprocity (idiom)
  2. fig. to return politeness for politeness

Character Decomposition

Related Words (20)

和尚
hé shang
  1. 1 Buddhist monk
尚
Shàng
  1. 1 surname Shang
往
wǎng
  1. 1 to go (in a direction)
  2. 2 to
  3. 3 towards
  4. 4 (of a train) bound for
  5. 5 past
  6. 6 previous
往事
wǎng shì
  1. 1 past events
  2. 2 former happenings
往往
wǎng wǎng
  1. 1 usually
  2. 2 in many cases
  3. 3 more often than not
时尚
shí shàng
  1. 1 fashion
  2. 2 fad
  3. 3 fashionable
一如既往
yī rú jì wǎng
  1. 1 just as in the past (idiom); as before
  2. 2 continuing as always
交往
jiāo wǎng
  1. 1 to associate (with)
  2. 2 to have contact (with)
  3. 3 to hang out (with)
  4. 4 to date
  5. 5 (interpersonal) relationship
  6. 6 association
  7. 7 contact
以往
yǐ wǎng
  1. 1 in the past
  2. 2 formerly
来往
lái wǎng
  1. 1 to come and go
  2. 2 to have dealings with
  3. 3 to be in relation with
前往
qián wǎng
  1. 1 to leave for
  2. 2 to proceed towards
  3. 3 to go
向往
xiàng wǎng
  1. 1 to yearn for
  2. 2 to look forward to
往来
wǎng lái
  1. 1 dealings
  2. 2 contacts
  3. 3 to go back and forth
往前
wǎng qián
  1. 1 to move forwards
往外
wǎng wài
  1. 1 out
  2. 2 outbound
  3. 3 departing
往常
wǎng cháng
  1. 1 usual
  2. 2 customary
往年
wǎng nián
  1. 1 in former years
  2. 2 in previous years
往后
wǎng hòu
  1. 1 from now on
  2. 2 in the future
  3. 3 time to come
往日
wǎng rì
  1. 1 former days
  2. 2 the past
往昔
wǎng xī
  1. 1 the past

Idioms (20)

一如既往
yī rú jì wǎng
  1. 1 just as in the past (idiom); as before
  2. 2 continuing as always
一往无前
yī wǎng wú qián
  1. 1 to advance courageously (idiom)
  2. 2 to press forward
丈二和尚，摸不着头脑
zhàng èr hé shang , mō bu zháo tóu nǎo
  1. 1 lit. like a three-meter high monk, you can't rub his head (idiom)
  2. 2 fig. at a total loss
三个和尚没水喝
sān gè hé shang méi shuǐ hē
  1. 1 lit. three monks have no water to drink (idiom)
  2. 2 fig. everybody's business is nobody's business
  3. 3 (If there is one monk, he will fetch water for himself. If there are two, they will fetch water together. But if there are three or more, none will take it upon himself to fetch water.)
人往高处走，水往低处流
rén wǎng gāo chù zǒu , shuǐ wǎng dī chù liú
  1. 1 man seeks his way up just as water seeks its way down (idiom)
  2. 2 one should constantly strive to make progress
做一天和尚撞一天钟
zuò yī tiān hé shang zhuàng yī tiān zhōng
  1. 1 lit. as a monk for today, toll today's bell (idiom)
  2. 2 fig. to do one's job mechanically
  3. 3 to hold a position passively
和尚打伞，无法无天
hé shang dǎ sǎn , wú fǎ wú tiān
  1. 1 lit. like a monk holding an umbrella — no hair, no sky (idiom) (punning on 髮|发[fà] vs 法[fǎ])
  2. 2 fig. defying the law and the principles of heaven
  3. 3 lawless
好奇尚异
hào qí shàng yì
  1. 1 to have a taste for the exotic (idiom)
对着和尚骂贼秃
duì zhe hé shang mà zéi tū
  1. 1 lit. to curse a baldhead to a monk's face (idiom)
  2. 2 fig. to scold sb indirectly
  3. 3 to criticize obliquely
往事已矣
wǎng shì yǐ yǐ
  1. 1 the past is dead (idiom)
既往不咎
jì wǎng bù jiù
  1. 1 to forget and not bear recriminations (idiom); to let bygones be bygones
  2. 2 There is no point in crying over spilt milk.
时代不同，风尚不同
shí dài bù tóng , fēng shàng bù tóng
  1. 1 customs change with time (idiom); other times, other manners
  2. 2 O Tempora, O Mores!
熙来攘往
xī lái rǎng wǎng
  1. 1 a place buzzing with activity (idiom)
独来独往
dú lái dú wǎng
  1. 1 coming and going alone (idiom); a lone operator
  2. 2 keeping to oneself
  3. 3 unsociable
  4. 4 maverick
礼尚往来
lǐ shàng wǎng lái
  1. 1 lit. proper behavior is based on reciprocity (idiom)
  2. 2 fig. to return politeness for politeness
继往开来
jì wǎng kāi lái
  1. 1 to follow the past and herald the future (idiom); part of a historical transition
  2. 2 forming a bridge between earlier and later stages
跑了和尚跑不了庙
pǎo le hé shàng pǎo bù liǎo miào
  1. 1 the monk can run away, but the temple won't run with him (idiom)
  2. 2 you can run this time, but you'll have to come back
  3. 3 I'll get you sooner or later
  4. 4 also written 跑得了和尚，跑不了廟|跑得了和尚，跑不了庙[pǎo dé liǎo hé shàng , pǎo bù liǎo miào]
跑了和尚，跑不了寺
pǎo le hé shàng , pǎo bù liǎo sì
  1. 1 the monk can run away, but the temple won't run with him (idiom)
  2. 2 you can run this time, but you'll have to come back
  3. 3 I'll get you sooner or later
跑得了和尚，跑不了庙
pǎo dé liǎo hé shàng , pǎo bù liǎo miào
  1. 1 the monk can run away, but the temple won't run with him (idiom)
  2. 2 you can run this time, but you'll have to come back
  3. 3 I'll get you sooner or later
迎来送往
yíng lái sòng wǎng
  1. 1 lit. to meet those arriving, to send of those departing (idiom); busy entertaining guests
  2. 2 all time taken over with social niceties

Sample Sentences

小时候，我最护着你小姨了，所以她现在特别疼你。等明年她要是有孩子了，这钱还得返回去。这叫礼尚往来。懂吗？
xiǎoshíhou ，wǒ zuì hù zhe nǐ xiǎoyí le ，suǒyǐ tā xiànzài tèbié téng nǐ 。děng míngnián tā yàoshì yǒu háizi le ，zhè qián hái děi fǎn huíqù 。zhè jiào lǐshàngwǎnglái 。dǒng ma ？
When we were little, I always took the best care of your auntie. So now she loves you dearly. Next year, if she has a child, you'll have to give this money back. That's called, ``what goes around, comes around." Do you understand?
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