老死不相往來

Chinese

		to die of old age; to die a natural death; close friend to die of old age; to die a natural death; close friend; very good friend	not; no	each other; appearance; portrait each other; appearance; portrait; picture; one another; mutually	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. (老死不相往來)		老死	不	相	往來
simp. (老死不相往来)		老死	不	相	往来

Etymology

From Tao Te Ching.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): lǎosǐbùxiāngwǎnglái

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄠˇ ㄙˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄨㄤˇ ㄌㄞˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): lou⁵ sei² bat¹ soeng¹ wong⁵ loi⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: lǎosǐbùxiāngwǎnglái [Phonetic: láosǐbùxiāngwǎnglái]
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄠˇ ㄙˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄨㄤˇ ㄌㄞˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lǎosǐhbùsiangwǎnglái
    • Wade–Giles: lao³-ssŭ³-pu⁴-hsiang¹-wang³-lai²
    • Yale: lǎu-sž-bù-syāng-wǎng-lái
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: laosyybushiangwoanglai
    • Palladius: лаосыбусянванлай (laosybusjanvanlaj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ laɪ̯³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: lou⁵ sei² bat¹ soeng¹ wong⁵ loi⁴
    • Yale: lóuh séi bāt sēung wóhng lòih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: lou⁵ sei² bat⁷ soeng¹ wong⁵ loi⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: lou⁵ séi² bed¹ sêng¹ wong⁵ loi⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lou̯¹³ sei̯³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ sœːŋ⁵⁵ wɔːŋ¹³ lɔːi̯²¹/

Idiom

老死不相往來

1. (of two entities) to never have contact with each other; to never interact

Usage notes

Some claim that the original meaning in Tao Te Ching was “(of two neighbouring countries) to never have any conflicts and wars”.