guest and host; host-guest relationship
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
guest and host (host seating in the east, guest in the west)
archaicAn archaic term for the guest-host relationship, originally referring to the ancient seating arrangement where the host's seat faced east and the guest's faced west. Later extended to formal, hierarchical relationships such as that between an advisor and official, tutor and household head, or clerk and shop owner.
Tā他
yǔ与
zhǎng长
guān官
yǒu有
bīn宾
dōng东
zhī之
yì谊
。
He has the relationship of a guest and host (i.e., advisor and superior) with the official.
Gǔ古
dài代
yàn宴
yǐn饮
，
bīn宾
dōng东
zhī之
wèi位
gè各
yǒu有
jiǎng讲
jiu究
。
In ancient banquets, the seating positions for guest and host were highly ritualized.
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Zhāng张
xiān先
sheng生
shì是
jiā家
fù父
de的
bīn宾
dōng东
，
jiào教
shòu授
wǒ我
men们
xiōng兄
dì弟
dú读
shū书
。
Mr. Zhang is my father's guest (as a tutor) and teaches my brothers and me.