📖 Meaning
This idiom refers to one's neighbors—the people who live in close proximity to one's home. It describes the local community of residents living nearby. An equivalent variant is 街坊四邻.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom first appears in the Yuan dynasty play The Circle of Chalk (灰阑记), Act One, by Li Xingdao. In the story, a scheming character claims that the testimony of the midwife and the street neighbors as witnesses has already been bought off with silver, so the matter outside the courthouse need not be worried about. The term thus originally referred to the neighbors called upon as witnesses in legal disputes. Over time it became a general expression for the people living nearby.
💡 Example Usage
老王热心助人，深受街坊邻里的敬重。
Old Wang is always ready to help others and is deeply respected by all his neighbors.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 街坊邻里
- Pinyin: jiē fāng lín lǐ
- Literal Translation: street, quarter, neighbor, village
- Category: Lifestyle
- Characters: 4