三从四德
sān cóng sì dé
the old Confucian code of female obedience and virtue
Character by character
三sān
three
three
从cóng
obediences
obediences
四sì
four
four
德dé
virtues
virtues
Example
奶奶小时候还被要求学三从四德，现在听起来像是很久很久以前的事了。
When Grandma was a girl she was still expected to learn the three obediences and four virtues; it sounds like something from long, long ago.
Tone: negative (criticism).
Usage and origin
The three obediences, from the ritual classic 《仪礼》: to your father before marriage, your husband in marriage and your son in widowhood (未嫁从父，既嫁从夫，夫死从子). The four virtues, from 《周礼》: 妇德、妇言、妇容、妇功, conduct, speech, appearance and needlework. Today used only to criticise or to joke.
Learn this in Lesson 50 · HSK 5–6: 半边天 (Women hold up half the sky)
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.
Open the lesson →