红白喜事

紅白喜事
hóngbái-xǐshì
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 weddings and funerals
  2. 2 happy and sad family occasions

Examples

HSK 3
Cūnlǐ hóngbái-xǐshì, dàjiā dōu lái bāngmáng.
For weddings and funerals in the village, everyone comes to help out.
HSK 7-9
Tā jiā zuìjìn hóngbái-xǐshì bùduàn, shífēn mánglù.
His family has had one wedding or funeral after another lately - very busy.

Tips

culture
(red) = weddings (red is the color of joy), (white) = funerals (white is mourning). A funeral for an elder who lived a long life is called 白喜事 - a "white happy event" - because long life is worth celebrating.
history
From Yang Jingting's 《都门杂咏》 (Qing dynasty): "最怕人情红白事,知单一到便为难" - nothing's dreaded more than wedding-and-funeral obligations; once the guest list arrives, you're in trouble. A comment on Beijing social customs.

Stroke Order

hóng
bái
shì