倒屣相迎

Chinese

upset; turn over; to tip
upset; turn over; to tip; to pour; to go home; to the contrary; inverted; to fall; to collapse; to topple; to change; to fail; bankrupt
 
 slippers
each other; appearance; portrait
each other; appearance; portrait; picture; one another; mutually
 
 to welcome
trad. (倒屣相迎) 倒 屣 相 迎
simp. #(倒屣相迎) 倒 屣 相 迎
Literally: “to welcome with shoes on wrong feet”.

Etymology

獻帝西遷，粲徙長安，左中郎將蔡邕見而奇之。時邕才學顯著，貴重朝廷，常車騎填巷，賓客盈坐。聞粲在門，倒屣迎之。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
献帝西迁，粲徙长安，左中郎将蔡邕见而奇之。时邕才学显著，贵重朝廷，常车骑填巷，宾客盈坐。闻粲在门，倒屣迎之。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]
From: Chen Shou, Records of the Three Kingdoms, circa 3rd century CE
Xiàndì xī qiān, Càn xǐ Cháng'ān, zuǒ zhōnglángjiàng Cài Yōng jiàn ér qí zhī. Shí Yōng cáixué xiǎnzhù, guìzhòng cháotíng, cháng jūjì tián xiàng, bīnkè yíng zuò. Wén Càn zài mén, dào xǐ yíng zhī. [Pinyin]
When Emperor Xian moved the capital west to Chang'an, Wang Can also moved following the emperor. Cai Yong, the Left Commander of the Palace Guards, was amazed when he met him. At that time, Cai Yong was already known for his rich knowledge and was highly valued by the imperial court. The alleys near his house was often full of carriages and horses of his visitors, and his house's seats were often filled with guests. One day, when Cai Yong heard that Wang Can was in front of his house's door, he was so eager to welcome him that he put his shoes on the wrong feet.

Pronunciation

Idiom

倒屣相迎

  1. to welcome enthusiastically
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