高抬贵手 (gāo tái guì shǒu) — (idiom) to ask for leniency or mercy; to beg someone to be magnanimous and let one off lightly

Definition

A formal, literary idiom meaning 'please raise your noble hand and let me off' — a humble plea for mercy or leniency. Used in earnest or slightly theatrical apologies, not casual chat.

idiom
to ask for leniency or mercyto beg someone to be magnanimous and let one off lightly

Examples

  • ，高抬贵手。
    Zhè cì shì wǒ shū hu le, qǐng nín gāo tái guì shǒu.
    This time I was negligent; please be lenient with me.
  • 高抬贵手，！
    Qiú nín gāo tái guì shǒu, jiù ráo le wǒ zhè yí cì ba!
    I beg you to be merciful, just forgive me this one time!
  • ，高抬贵手。
    Jīng guò zài sān kěn qiú, duì fāng zhōng yú gāo tái guì shǒu fàng guò le tā.
    After repeated pleas, the other side finally showed mercy and let him off.

Origin

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

高 was drawn as a tall building.

Open 高 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
台
台tái抬tái
Same sound today

In 抬, the 扌 part relates to the hand, and 台 gives the sound.

Open 抬 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 貴; 贵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèimoney cowrie
Sound part声符shēngfú
臾
臾yú貴guì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貴 uses 貝, a money cowrie, for meaning and 臾 for sound. The simplified 贵 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the old parts.

Open 贵 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

手 draws a five-fingered human hand: the top line is a bent middle finger, and the horizontal lines show the other four fingers.

Open 手 →

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