來而不往非禮也

See also: 来而不往非礼也

Chinese

		to come	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	not; no	toward; (of a train) bound for; to go (in a direction) toward; (of a train) bound for; to go (in a direction); past; previous; towards	(be) not; wrong; blame (be) not; wrong; blame; Africa	gift; propriety; rite	also; too
trad. (來而不往非禮也)		來	而	不	往	非	禮	也
simp. (来而不往非礼也)		来	而	不	往	非	礼	也

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.]

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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): lái ér bù wǎng fēi lǐ yě

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄞˊ ㄦˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄨㄤˇ ㄈㄟ ㄌㄧˇ ㄧㄝˇ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: lái ér bù wǎng fēi lǐ yě [Phonetic: láiérbùwǎngfēilíyě]
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄞˊ ㄦˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄨㄤˇ ㄈㄟ ㄌㄧˇ ㄧㄝˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lái ér bù wǎng fei lǐ yě
    • Wade–Giles: lai² êrh² pu⁴ wang³ fei¹ li³ yeh³
    • Yale: lái ér bù wǎng fēi lǐ yě
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lai erl bu woang fei lii yee
    • Palladius: лай эр бу ван фэй ли е (laj er bu van fɛj li je)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /laɪ̯³⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ pu⁵¹ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ feɪ̯⁵⁵ li²¹⁴⁻³⁵ jɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Proverb

來而不往非禮也

1. It is impolite not to reciprocate; Friendship cannot stand always on one side; It's impolite not to make a return for what one receives; One should return as good as one receives.