举案齐眉

Pronunciation: jǔ àn qí méi Literal meaning: Raise tray level with eyebrows

Origin & Usage

Meng Guang, married to the recluse Liang Hong, served his meals by lifting (举) the tray (案) level (齐) with her eyebrows (眉), not daring to look up at him over the food. The deference recorded is hers, in one direction; what the Book of Later Han finds remarkable is the inference their employer drew from it — a labourer whose wife respects him like this is no ordinary man. The two were poor and hired out to other households. What the phrase preserves is a gesture rather than a feeling, and modern Chinese has softened it into a compliment about a marriage of mutual regard, which is not quite what the passage says.

Examples

English: "Their relationship exemplifies mutual respect and devotion."

Chinese: 他们的关系是举案齐眉的典范。