三妻四妾 sān qī sì qiè three wives and four concubines

Explanation

三妻四妾指的是古代帝王或贵族拥有多个妻妾，是古代社会的一种婚姻制度和社会现象，也反映了古代社会等级森严、男尊女卑的社会风气。

Three wives and four concubines refers to the fact that ancient emperors or nobles had multiple wives and concubines. It was a form of marriage and a social phenomenon in ancient times, and also reflects the strict hierarchy and the subordination of women to men in ancient society.

Origin Story

在古代，拥有三妻四妾是身份和地位的象征，许多富贵人家都梦想拥有如此的家庭。而这些妻妾之间往往会为了争宠而互相排挤，勾心斗角。最终，往往是家宅不宁，反目成仇。这就像一只盛满了水的容器，如果不停地往里加水，最终只会溢出来，带来灾祸。所以，无论是在古代还是现代，拥有太多的妻子和情人，都不利于家庭和睦，也难以获得真正的幸福。

zài gǔ dài, yōng yǒu sān qī sì qiè shì shēn fèn hé dì wèi de xiàng zhēng, xǔ duō fù guì jiā rén dōu mèng xiǎng yōng yǒu rú cǐ de jiā tíng. ér zhè xiē qī qiè zhī jiān wǎng wǎng huì wèi le zhēng chǒng ér hù xiāng pái jǐ, gōu xīn dòu jiǎo. zhōng jiū, wǎng wǎng shì jiā zhái bù níng, fǎn mù chéng chóu. zhè jiù xiàng yī zhī shèng mǎn le shuǐ de róng qì, rú guǒ bù tíng de wǎng lǐ jiā shuǐ, zhōng jiū zhǐ huì yì chū lái, dài lái zāi huò. suǒ yǐ, wú lùn shì zài gǔ dài hái shì xiàn dài, yōng yǒu tài duō de qī zi hé qíng rén, dōu bù lì yú jiā tíng hé mù, yě nán yǐ huò dé zhēn zhèng de xìng fú.

In ancient times, having three wives and four concubines was a symbol of status and power. Many wealthy families dreamed of having such a family. However, these wives and concubines often competed with each other for favor, leading to intrigue and rivalry. Ultimately, the family became discordant and turned against each other. This is like a container filled with water, if you keep adding water, it will eventually overflow and bring disaster. Therefore, regardless of whether it is in ancient times or modern times, having too many wives and lovers is not conducive to family harmony and it is difficult to achieve true happiness.

Usage

这个成语一般用于讽刺那些拥有很多妻妾的人，通常带有贬义，但也偶尔用来描述古代帝王或贵族的生活方式。

zhè ge chéng yǔ yī bān yòng yú fěng cì nà xiē yōng yǒu hěn duō qī qiè de rén, tōng cháng dài yǒu biǎn yì, dàn yě ǒu ěr yòng lái miáo shù gǔ dài dì wáng huò guì zú de shēng huó fāng shì.

This idiom is generally used to satirize those who have many wives and concubines, usually with a derogatory connotation, but occasionally used to describe the lifestyle of ancient emperors or nobles.

Examples

• 古代的皇帝，往往三妻四妾，过着奢华的生活

  gǔ dài de huáng dì, wǎng wǎng sān qī sì qiè, guò zhe shē huá de shēng huó

  Ancient emperors often had multiple wives and concubines and lived a luxurious life.

• 他虽然身居高位，却依然过着简朴的生活，没有三妻四妾

  tā suī rán shēn jū gāo wèi, què yī rán guò zhe jiǎn pǔ de shēng huó, méi yǒu sān qī sì qiè

  Although he holds a high position, he still lives a simple life, without multiple wives

Related Idioms

• 后宫

• 妃嫔

• 妻妾成群

Opposite Idioms

• 一夫一妻