📖 Meaning
To raise a serving tray to the height of one's eyebrows. It describes mutual respect and courtesy between husband and wife. It is a variant of the more common form 举案齐眉.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the story of Liang Hong and his wife Meng Guang during the Eastern Han dynasty. Liang Hong was a scholar who married Meng Guang, a woman known for her virtue. Each time Meng Guang served meals to her husband, she would raise the food tray to the level of her eyebrows as a gesture of deep respect. This story was recorded in the Book of Later Han (后汉书) and became a lasting symbol of marital harmony and mutual reverence.
💡 Example Usage
他们夫妻结婚多年，始终齐眉举案，相敬如宾。
After many years of marriage, the couple have always treated each other with the utmost respect and courtesy.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 齐眉举案
- Pinyin: qí méi jǔ àn
- Literal Translation: equal, eyebrow, raise, tray
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4