三茶六饭

三茶六飯
sānchá-liùfàn
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to entertain guests with utmost hospitality
  2. 2 lit. three teas and six meals

Examples

HSK 2
Lǎorén zài érzi jiālǐ, guò zhe sānchá-liùfàn de shūfu rìzi.
The old man lives a comfortable life of constant attention at his son's home.
HSK 7-9
Kèrén lái le, tā zǒngshì sānchá-liùfàn, zhāodài zhōudào.
When guests arrive, she always serves them with full hospitality, attending to their every need.

Tips

history
From Wu Cheng'en's 《西游记》 (Journey to the West), Chapter 26: 'serve our master well, with three teas and six meals daily, never short of anything.' The expression 三茶六饭 came to mean total, gracious provision for a guest.
memory
Don't read 'three' and 'six' as exact counts - like 七上八下 or 三长两短, the numbers just signal abundance and care. Picture three rounds of tea framing six unhurried meals.

Stroke Order

sān
chá
liù
fàn