📖 Meaning
Neighbors and community members help and care for one another during times of sickness or trouble. It describes the spirit of mutual aid and compassion within a community facing hardship together.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the classical text Mencius (《孟子·滕文公上》), written by the Warring States period philosopher Meng Ke (孟轲). In describing the ideal social order of the well-field system (井田制), Mencius envisioned villagers sharing the same land, befriending one another in daily life, keeping watch together for mutual defense, and supporting each other when illness struck. This vision portrayed an intimate, harmonious rural community where mutual care bound neighbors together as kin.
💡 Example Usage
乡里乡亲住在一起,应当守望相助、疾病相扶,才能让日子越过越红火。
Neighbors living together should watch out for one another and care for each other in times of illness, so that life can grow ever more prosperous.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 疾病相扶
- Pinyin: jí bìng xiāng fú
- Literal Translation: illness, sickness, mutual, support
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4