爱屋及乌
爱屋及乌 (ài wū jí wū) literally means “love house and its crow” and expresses “love extends to all connections”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.
Also searched as: ai wu ji wu, ai wu ji wu,爱屋及乌 meaning, 爱屋及乌 in english
Love extends to all connections
Pronunciation: ài wū jí wū Literal meaning: Love house and its crow
Origin & Usage
Loving (爱) a house (屋) and extending that (及) even to the crows (乌) on its roof. The formulation comes from an early gloss on the Zhou conquest — he who loves a man loves even the crows on his roof — and the crow is chosen because it is the least lovable bird available, which is the entire force of the image. Nothing about the crow has changed; only its position has. Being kind to somebody's difficult relatives for their sake is the standard case, as is forgiving a product's faults because of who made it.
Examples
English: "She loved her friend so much that she even cherished her friend's peculiar habits"
Chinese: 她如此喜欢她的朋友，连朋友的怪癖也觉得可爱
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about relationships & character
春风化雨
chūn fēng huà yǔ
Gentle, nurturing influence
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守口如瓶
shǒu kǒu rú píng
Keep secrets well
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雪中送炭
xuě zhōng sòng tàn
Help in time of need
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倾盖如故
qīng gài rú gù
Instant friendship
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一模一样
yī mú yī yàng
Exactly identical
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以心换心
yǐ xīn huàn xīn
Treat others as yourself
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以和为贵
yǐ hé wéi guì
Value harmony above all
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同舟共济
tóng zhōu gòng jì
Face challenges together
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 爱屋及乌 mean in English?
爱屋及乌 (ài wū jí wū) literally translates to “Love house and its crow” and is used to express “Love extends to all connections”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.
When is 爱屋及乌 used?
Situation: She loved her friend so much that she even cherished her friend's peculiar habits
What is the pinyin for 爱屋及乌?
The pinyin pronunciation for 爱屋及乌 is “ài wū jí wū”.
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