Chinese characters and pinyin
Simplified: 相敬如宾
Traditional: 相敬如賓
Pinyin: xiāng jìng rú bīn
Literal translation
Treat each other with the respect shown to an honored guest.
Natural English meaning
Partners sustain a relationship through mutual courtesy and respect.
Closest English equivalent
Treat your partner with respect.
English has no equally compact, standard proverb; the Chinese idiom uses formal hospitality to describe enduring respect within marriage.
When to use it
Use it to praise a couple whose familiarity has not erased consideration and courtesy.
When not to use it
It praises respect, not emotional distance or rigid formality between partners.
Example sentence
他们结婚多年仍相敬如宾。
Even after many years of marriage, they continue to treat each other with thoughtful respect.
Origin and cultural context
The image is traditionally linked to a story in the Zuo Commentary about a married couple treating one another with ceremony and respect.
Classification: idiom. This label distinguishes a complete proverb or popular saying from a compact idiom or a quotation preserved from a classical text.
