📖 Meaning
Guests are never kept waiting at the door. This idiom praises someone who is diligent, warm, and prompt in receiving visitors, showing sincere hospitality without any delay or neglect.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom comes from the 'Book of Jin' (《晋书》), in the biography of Wang Hun (王浑), a Western Jin dynasty official. Wang Hun was renowned for his hospitality: his home was always full of guests with no empty seats, and visitors were greeted immediately without ever being kept waiting at the door. The phrase '座无虚席，门不停宾' (no empty seats, guests never halted at the door) became a lasting tribute to his gracious and diligent hosting. Later, Yan Zhitui (颜之推) of the Northern Qi dynasty also praised this virtue in his work 'Family Instructions of the Yan Clan' (《颜氏家训》).
💡 Example Usage
他待人热情周到，门不停宾，邻里都爱来串门。
He treats people with warmth and thoughtfulness, never keeping guests waiting at the door, so all the neighbors love to drop by.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 门不停宾
- Pinyin: mén bù tíng bīn
- Literal Translation: door, not, stop, guest
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4