投桃报李 (tóu táo bào lǐ) — to reciprocate a favor or gift with something equally generous; mutual exchange of goodwill

Definition

A chengyu meaning to repay a kindness with an equal one — literally 'throw a peach, return a plum.' It emphasizes mutual goodwill, not a one-sided favor. Close in meaning to 礼尚往来 but slightly more literary.

idiom
to reciprocate a favor or gift with something equally generousmutual exchange of goodwill

Examples

  • 投桃报李，。
    Péng you zhī jiān jiǎng jiu tóu táo bào lǐ, hù xiāng bāng zhù.
    Between friends, it's important to reciprocate favors and help each other.
  • ，，投桃报李。
    Tā sòng le wǒ yì běn shū, wǒ huí zèng le yì fú huà, yě suàn shì tóu táo bào lǐ le.
    He gave me a book, and I gave him a painting in return — that counts as a mutual exchange of gifts.
  • 投桃报李，。
    Hé zuò zhōng shuāng fāng tóu táo bào lǐ, guān xì cái néng cháng jiǔ.
    In cooperation, only when both sides reciprocate can the relationship last long.

Origin

Characters in this word

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
殳
殳shū投tóu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 扌 shows a hand, and the right part 殳 gives the sound of the character.

Open 投 →

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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
兆
兆zhào桃táo(r)
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

桃 combines 木, meaning tree, with 兆, which gives the sound.

Open 桃 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 報; 报 is its simplified writing.

  • 㚔㚔㚔handcuffs
  • 𠬝𠬝𠬝to subdue

The traditional form 報 puts 㚔 (handcuffs) beside 𠬝 (to subdue), showing someone restrained and subdued, as in convicting or punishing a guilty person. The simplified 报 is a later shorthand.

Open 报 →

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
子子zǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
來
來lái李lǐ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The earliest form of 李 paired 來 (wheat) with 子; the 來 part later changed into 木, giving today's shape.

Open 李 →

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