君子好逑 jūn zǐ hào qiú A good match for a gentleman

Explanation

君子好逑，出自《诗经·周南·关睢》。逑，通“仇”，意思是配偶。整句话的意思是：美丽的女子，是君子的好伴侣。后用来指称男子追求佳偶。

Jūnzǐ hǎo qiú comes from the Classic of Poetry, Zhou Nan, Guan Sui. Qiú means 'partner' here. The whole sentence means: Beautiful women are good partners for gentlemen. Later, it was used to refer to a man who seeks an ideal partner.

Origin Story

话说，战国时期，一位才华横溢的公子，名叫子期，他琴艺超群，一心追求一位知音，一位能欣赏他琴艺，与他心心相印的女子。他遍游各地，寻找心中那“窈窕淑女，君子好逑”。一次，他在山间偶然听到悠扬的琴声，循声而去，发现一位美丽的女子正弹奏古筝。她的琴声清澈婉转，与子期的琴艺遥相呼应，如同知音一般。子期被深深吸引，他走到女子面前，两人相视一笑，从此开始了他们琴瑟和谐，相濡以沫的生活。这便是“君子好逑”的最佳诠释，两人互相欣赏，成就了一段佳话。

huà shuō, zhàn guó shí qī, yī wèi cái huá héng yì de gōng zǐ, míng jiào zǐ qī, tā qín yì chāo qún, yī xīn zhuī qiú yī wèi zhī yīn, yī wèi néng xīn shǎng tā qín yì, yǔ tā xīn xīn xiāng yìn de nǚ zǐ. tā biàn yóu gè dì, xún zhǎo xīn zhōng nà ‘yǎo tiǎo shū nǚ, jūn zǐ hào qiú’. yī cì, tā zài shān jiān ǒu rán tīng dào yōu yáng de qín shēng, xún shēng ér qù, fā xiàn yī wèi měi lì de nǚ zǐ zhèng tán zòu gǔ zhēng. tā de qín shēng qīng chè wǎn zhuǎn, yǔ zǐ qī de qín yì yáo xiāng hū yìng, rú tóng zhī yīn yī bān. zǐ qī bèi shēn shēn xī yǐn, tā zǒu dào nǚ zǐ miàn qián, liǎng rén xiāng shì yī xiào, cóng cǐ kāi shǐ le tā men qín sè hé xié, xiāng rú mò de shēng huó. zhè biàn shì ‘jūn zǐ hào qiú’ de zuì jiā qiǎn shì, liǎng rén hù xiāng xīn shǎng, chéng jiù le yī duàn jiā huà.

During the Warring States period, a talented young man named Ziqi, known for his extraordinary skills on the Guqin zither, sought a soulmate—a woman who appreciated his music and understood his soul. He traveled far and wide, searching for the "beautiful and virtuous woman, the ideal partner." One day, he accidentally heard a moving melody in the mountains. Following the sound, he discovered a beautiful woman playing the guzheng. Her playing was clear and melodious, mirroring Ziqi's skill and resonating as if she understood his soul. Ziqi was immediately captivated, approached the woman, and they smiled at each other. From that day on, they lived in harmony and mutual love. This is the perfect illustration of 'Jūnzǐ hǎo qiú,' the mutual appreciation of a couple that created a beautiful story.

Usage

常用于赞美女子美丽贤淑，也可用作男子追求理想伴侣的表达。

cháng yòng yú zàn měi nǚ zǐ měi lì xián shū, yě kě yòng zuò nán zǐ zhuī qiú lǐ xiǎng bàn lǚ de biǎo dá

Often used to praise the beauty and virtue of women, it can also be used by men to express their pursuit of an ideal partner.

Examples

• 窈窕淑女，君子好逑。

  yǎo tiǎo shū nǚ, jūn zǐ hào qiú

  A beautiful and virtuous woman, a good match for a gentleman.

• 他终于找到了自己的君子好逑。

  tā zhōng yú zhǎo dào le zì jǐ de jūn zǐ hào qiú

  He finally found his ideal partner..

Related Idioms

• 窈窕淑女

• 佳偶

Opposite Idioms

• 美女与野兽

• 郎才女貌