礼尚往来
- Literal
- ritual values the going and coming
- Figurative
- Courtesy calls for reciprocity: a gift, an invitation or a favor should be returned; sometimes, wryly, a slight as well.
Where does 礼尚往来 come from?
It is not an anecdote but a maxim from the 《礼记》, the classic book of rites, in the chapter “曲礼上”. The text says that ritual values reciprocity, and adds that to go without the visit being returned is not proper, and neither is to receive without reciprocating. 尚 means "to esteem, to value" here, and 往来 "going and coming," the exchange of visits and gifts between people. The phrase passed almost unchanged into today's speech: it is said when returning a gift or an invitation, in dealings between companies or countries, and jokingly when someone pays back a slight.
Source (出处): 《礼记·曲礼上》
How is 礼尚往来 used? Two examples
- 邻居上周送了我们一篮橘子，礼尚往来，今天我给他们包了饺子。
Last week our neighbors gave us a basket of tangerines, so today I made them some dumplings in return.
- 客户上次请我们吃饭，这次该我们回请了，礼尚往来嘛。
Last time the client took us out to dinner, so this time it's our turn; one good turn deserves another.
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