not to reciprocate is against etiquette (classical); to respond in kind
trad. 來而不往非禮也
Also written 來而不往非禮也【lái ér bù wǎng fēi lǐ yě】
Characters in this word
7来
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
to come, (used as a substitute for a more specific verb), hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回來|回来[hui2 lai5]), ever since (as in 自古以來|自古以来[zi4 gu3 yi3 lai2]), for the past (amount of time), (prefix) the coming ...; the next ... (as in 來世|来世[lai2 shi4]), (between two verbs) in order to, (after a round number) approximately, (used after 得[de2] to indicate possibility, as in 談得來|谈得来[tan2 de5 lai2], or after 不[bu4] to indicate impossibility, as in 吃不來|吃不来[chi1 bu5 lai2])
- Pinyin
- lái
- Traditional
- 來
- Strokes
- 7
- Frequency
- 33 of 2500
而
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
and, as well as, and so, but (not), yet (not), (indicates causal relation), (indicates change of state), (indicates contrast)
- Pinyin
- ér
- Strokes
- 6
- Frequency
- 131 of 2500
不
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
no; not so, (bound form) not; un-
- Pinyin
- bù
- Strokes
- 4
- Frequency
- 9 of 2500
往
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
to go (in a direction), to, towards, (of a train) bound for, past, previous
- Pinyin
- wǎng
- Strokes
- 8
- Frequency
- 1074 of 2500
非
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
abbr. for 非洲[Fei1 zhou1], Africa
- Pinyin
- Fēi
- Strokes
- 8
- Frequency
- 2078 of 2500
礼
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
surname Li, abbr. for 禮記|礼记[Li3 ji4], Classic of Rites
- Pinyin
- Lǐ
- Traditional
- 禮
- Strokes
- 5
- Frequency
- 11331 of 2500
也
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
surname Ye
- Pinyin
- Yě
- Strokes
- 3
- Frequency
- 25 of 2500