📖 Meaning
Originally referring to the mutual exchange of gifts, this idiom derives from the ancient practice of reciprocating kindness. It later came to broadly signify gift-giving, and by extension, bribery or improper gift offerings.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom traces back to the Book of Odes (诗经), specifically the Daya section in the poem Yi (抑), composed during the Western Zhou dynasty. The line '投之以桃，报之以李' describes reciprocating a peach with a plum, illustrating the custom of returning favors. Over centuries, the phrase was condensed into '桃李之馈' and its meaning broadened from courteous exchange to encompass all forms of gift-giving, eventually acquiring a negative connotation of bribery.
💡 Example Usage
逢年过节，官场上便少不了桃李之馈，实为积弊。
During holidays, the exchange of gifts among officials was unavoidable, a practice that had become a deep-rooted corrupt custom.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 桃李之馈
- Pinyin: táo lǐ zhī kuì
- Literal Translation: peach, plum, of, gift
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4