DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT
禮尚往來
简 礼尚往来 · 繁 禮尚往來Mandarin · pinyin lǐ shàng wǎng lái
Meanings
- lit. proper behavior is based on reciprocity (idiom)
- fig. to return politeness for politeness
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Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.
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Mandarin tones
3–4–3–2 · li3 shang4 wang3 lai2
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
Connected dictionary
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Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
lai5 soeng6 wong5 loi4
Cantonese word readings for 禮尚往來. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
phrase
- (idiomatic) to reciprocate the courtesy shown to you by another; to treat others as you would like to be treated
- (idiomatic) to reciprocate a gift; to give a gift in return
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack