你来我往

你來我往
nǐlái-wǒwǎng
idiom #30,901

Meanings

  1. 1 back and forth
  2. 2 to-and-fro exchange
  3. 3 frequent mutual visits or interactions

Examples

HSK 3
Liǎng gè rén nǐlái-wǒwǎng, tán le yī gè xiǎoshí.
The two of them went back and forth, talking for an hour.
HSK 5
Línjū zhījiān nǐlái-wǒwǎng, guānxi hěn hǎo.
The neighbors visit back and forth often and get along well.
HSK 7-9
Bǐsài zhōng shuāngfāng nǐlái-wǒwǎng, bǐfēn jiāozhuó.
Both sides traded blows back and forth in the match, with a tight score.

Tips

usage
你来我往 paints a picture of two parties trading actions - visits, arguments, attacks, gifts, sales pitches. The structure is 'you come, I go', a four-character chiasmus. Works for both friendly social exchange (regular visits) and competitive contexts (debates, sports, fights).
memory
Just read the four characters straight: 你来 'you come', 我往 'I go'. The mutual motion gives the meaning.

Stroke Order

lái
wǎng