以牙还牙
yǐ yá huán yá
a tooth for a tooth; to hit back in kind
Character by character
以yǐ
with
with
牙yá
tooth
tooth
还huán
repay
repay
牙yá
tooth
tooth
Example
对方降价，我们也降价，这样以牙还牙下去，最后谁都赚不到钱。
They cut prices, we cut prices: if we keep paying them back in kind like this, in the end nobody will make any money.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
Usually traced to the Chinese Bible’s 以眼还眼，以牙还牙, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”. News uses it for tit-for-tat measures in trade, diplomacy and sport (以牙还牙的报复); in daily talk it can sound petty.
Learn this in Lesson 191 · HSK 7–9: 光伏反倾销案 (The solar panel dumping case)
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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