諺語 · a single proverb
投桃報李
Simplified: 投桃报李
What does 投桃報李 (tóu táo bào lǐ) mean?
投桃報李 (tóu táo bào lǐ) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "you throw a peach, I return a plum." In use it means: Mutual exchange of kindness; reciprocity as the natural rhythm of healthy relationships. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rabbit.
Literally: "you throw a peach, I return a plum."
The reading
You gave me a peach. I gave you a plum. The mathematics are approximate, and that is the point. Reciprocity is not accounting. It is a rhythm: you, then me, then you. The relationship lives in the alternation, not in the balance sheet.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Book of Songs 詩經, Da Ya 大雅, Yi 抑
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Friendship, Trust & Speech, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 投桃報李 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 投桃報李 (tóu táo bào lǐ) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Book of Songs 詩經, Da Ya 大雅, Yi 抑. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 投桃報李?
In Mandarin it is tóu táo bào lǐ. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 投桃報李 aloud in Mandarin.