📖 Meaning
To advance and retreat together with the crowd. It describes following along with everyone else without having any independent views or convictions of one's own.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the 'Book of Rites' (礼记·乐记), which describes ancient court music where performers moved forward and backward in unison. The 'Guoyu' (国语·越语上) records King Goujian of Yue telling his ministers he did not want individual bravery but wanted them to advance and retreat together as a collective body. Over time the idiom evolved to describe those who simply follow the majority without any personal stance.
💡 Example Usage
他在会议上从不发表自己的见解，只是旅进旅退，随声附和。
He never expresses his own opinions at meetings, merely going along with the crowd and echoing whatever others say.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 旅进旅退
- Pinyin: lǚ jìn lǚ tuì
- Literal Translation: together, advance, together, retreat
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4