往来无白丁

往來無白丁

wǎngláiwúbáidīng

phrase

Meanings

1 no commoners among those who come and go
2 fig. associating only with cultured, educated people
3 a boast about the quality of one's visitors

Characters

commoner / able-bodied man

Examples

他的书房谈笑有鸿儒，往来无白丁。

Tā de shūfáng tán xiào yǒu hóng rú, wǎng lái wú bái dīng.

In his study, the laughter is all of great scholars — no unlettered guests come and go.

这个沙龙聚集了各界名人，真是往来无白丁。

Zhè ge shālóng jùjí le gè jiè míngrén, zhēn shì wǎng lái wú bái dīng.

This salon gathers famous figures from every field — truly, no commoners in the coming and going.

Tips

history

From Liu Yuxi's (刘禹锡) Tang classical essay 《陋室铭》 (Inscription for a Humble Room): 谈笑有鸿儒，往来无白丁。 — 'Those who laugh with me are great scholars; those who come and go include no commoners.' 白丁 = an uneducated commoner (originally a man of humble rank without official posting). A standard middle-school text.

usage

Always paired with 谈笑有鸿儒. 白丁 is archaic and literary; modern readers need a gloss. Used in praise of intellectually distinguished gatherings — sometimes wryly, to mock snobbery.

Stroke Order

往 wǎng

来 lái

无 wú

白 bái

丁 dīng