对仗
parallelism: two lines matched word for word in grammar and sense
Structure
上句（名词 动词 名词 …） ‖ 下句（名词 动词 名词 …）
What it means
Parallelism: two lines matched word for word, noun to noun and verb to verb, in grammar and sense.
How it is built
Line 1 and line 2 share one structure, slot by slot: 白日｜依｜山｜尽，黄河｜入｜海｜流 (The white sun sets behind the hills; the Yellow River flows into the sea).
When to use it
Central to classical poetry and couplets (对联). The same habit shapes modern prose and slogans: 绿水青山就是金山银山; 前事不忘，后事之师. It is why four-character phrases so often come in pairs.
Watch out
Matching is by word class and meaning, not just length: 白日 (colour + thing) pairs with 黄河 (colour + thing), 山 with 海. Strict verse also sets the tones against each other and avoids repeating words.
Examples
白日依山尽，黄河入海流。
The white sun sets behind the hills; the Yellow River flows into the sea.
海内存知己，天涯若比邻。
With a true friend within the seas, the ends of the earth are next door.
Learn this in Lesson 208 · HSK 9+: 唐诗宋词 (Tang poems and Song lyrics)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. This lesson is free.
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