举案齐眉
jǔ àn qí méi
(of husband and wife) to treat each other with deep respect
Character by character
举jǔ
raise
raise
案àn
tray
tray
齐qí
level with
level with
眉méi
eyebrows
eyebrows
Example
两位老人举案齐眉几十年，到现在说话还是客客气气的，邻居们都很羡慕。
The old couple have treated each other with the greatest respect for decades and still speak to each other with perfect courtesy; the neighbours all envy them.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
From the 后汉书 story of the poor scholar 梁鸿, whose wife 孟光 served his meals holding the tray level with her eyebrows. 案 is a food tray here, not a table or a case. Today it praises mutual respect in a marriage, often with 相敬如宾; the old picture of a deferential wife is why some find it old-fashioned.
Learn this in Lesson 253 · HSK 9+: 杨绛《我们仨》 (Yang Jiang’s We Three)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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