📖 Meaning
This idiom describes the act of mutual giving and receiving, where one person's kindness or gift is met with a fitting return from the other. It emphasizes the ideal of reciprocity in human relationships, in which favors, gifts, or goodwill are exchanged in balanced and courteous fashion. The phrase is often used to praise harmonious, give-and-take interactions between friends, neighbors, or associates.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom traces back to the Book of Songs (《诗经》), China's oldest existing collection of poetry, compiled during the Western Zhou to Spring and Autumn periods (roughly 11th–6th centuries BCE). It derives from the poem 'Yi' (《抑》) in the 'Greater Odes' (大雅) section, which contains the line: 'Throw me a peach, I repay you with a plum' (投我以桃，报之以李). The original verse uses the exchange of fruit as a metaphor for the principle of reciprocity in moral conduct and social relations. Over time, this idea crystallized into the four-character idiom 桃来李答, meaning 'peach comes, plum answers,' to describe mutual exchange of courtesy and gifts.
💡 Example Usage
邻里之间桃来李答，互送蔬果，关系十分融洽。
The neighbors exchange peaches and plums with each other, sending one another vegetables and fruit, so their relationship is very harmonious.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 桃来李答
- Pinyin: táo lái lǐ dá
- Literal Translation: peach comes, plum answers
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4