疾病相扶持

jíbìngxiāngfúchí

phrase

Meanings

1 in sickness they support one another
2 (fig.) the ideal of a community of neighbors who help each other through illness and hardship
3 (lit.) illness mutually support-sustain

Characters

illness (疾病 = illness)

to hold up (扶持 = sustain)

Examples

出入相友，守望相助，疾病相扶持，孟子描述的是理想村社。

Chūrù xiāng yǒu, shǒuwàng xiāng zhù, jíbìng xiāng fú chí, Mèngzǐ miáoshù de shì lǐxiǎng cūnshè.

'They go out and come in as friends, guard and watch together, in sickness support one another' — Mencius is describing the ideal village community.

邻里之间就应疾病相扶持。

Línlǐ zhījiān jiù yīng jíbìng xiāng fúchí.

Between neighbors, one should 'support each other in sickness.'

Tips

history

From 《孟子·滕文公上》(Mencius, 'Duke Wen of Teng,' Part I), describing the well-field (井田) village ideal: 乡田同井，出入相友，守望相助，疾病相扶持，则百姓亲睦 (Villagers share one well; going out and coming in as friends, standing watch for each other, supporting one another in sickness — then the common people are bonded in harmony). The passage is a founding text of Chinese communitarian thought.

usage

Usually quoted as the triplet 出入相友，守望相助，疾病相扶持 — the three phrases form the social package. 相 here = 'mutually / each other' (xiāng, 1st tone), not 'appearance / minister' (xiàng).

Stroke Order

疾 jí

病 bìng

相 xiāng

扶 fú

持 chí