文君早寡 — “A young woman who becomes a widow early in life”

文君早寡 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a young woman who becomes a widow early in life”. An early widow, often with an allusion to Zhuo Wenjun's story where she was widowed young before eloping with Sima Xiangru. Literally, “Wenjun early widowed”.

Frequency

文君早寡 Pronunciation and Pinyin

文君早寡 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
文	wén	4	written language and culture
君	jūn	7	monarch, lord, or gentleman
早	zǎo	6	early in time
寡	guǎ	14	few, lacking, or widow

Example Sentence with 文君早寡

她年纪轻轻就守寡，真是文君早寡，令人惋惜。

She became a widow at such a young age, a true 'Wenjun zao gua,' which is truly regrettable.

Origin and Story of 文君早寡

During the Western Han Dynasty, the renowned poet and prose writer Sima Xiangru returned to his hometown of Chengdu after the death of King Xiao of Liang. The magistrate of Linqiong County, Wang Ji, invited him as a guest to the home of the wealthy merchant Zhuo Wangsun. There, Sima Xiangru was captivated by Zhuo Wangsun's widowed daughter, Zhuo Wenjun.

The two fell deeply in love, secretly pledged themselves to each other, and eloped back to Sima Xiangru's humble abode. In order to make a living, Zhuo Wenjun personally tended the wine stove to sell wine, while Sima Xiangru worked alongside servants.

Eventually, facing public pressure and their steadfast devotion, Zhuo Wangsun was reluctantly compelled to acknowledge their marriage.