📖 Meaning
To neither offer congratulations nor pay condolences. Originally describing a person who severs all social ties and refuses to participate in communal rituals. By extension, it refers to a relationship that has grown distant or estranged.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom comes from the 'Biography of Xun Shuang' in the Book of the Later Han (后汉书·荀爽传). Xun Shuang was a renowned Confucian scholar during the Eastern Han dynasty. Disillusioned with the political turmoil of his time, he immersed himself entirely in the study of classical texts. He refused to attend any social functions—whether weddings, funerals, or celebrations—and repeatedly declined official summons from the court. His complete withdrawal from social life became the archetype for this expression.
💡 Example Usage
他隐居山林之后，庆吊不行，与世隔绝。
After retiring to the mountains, he engaged in neither celebration nor condolence, cutting himself off from the world entirely.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 庆吊不行
- Pinyin: qìng diào bù xíng
- Literal Translation: celebrate, condole, not, conduct
- Category: Lifestyle
- Characters: 4