传宗接代

chuán zōng jiē dài

to carry on the family line

Character by character

传chuán
pass on

宗zōng
ancestral line

接jiē
continue

代dài
generation

老一辈人总觉得，一定要生个儿子传宗接代。

The older generation always felt you had to have a son to carry on the family line.

Tone: neutral.

The old patrilineal duty that lies behind 重男轻女. Today it is usually quoted with a critical or ironic edge.

Learn this in Lesson 38 · HSK 5–6: 亲戚怎么叫 (What to call your relatives)

A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.