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南阮北阮
南阮北阮
南阮北阮
南阮北阮
南阮北阮
南阮北阮
南阮北阮
南阮北阮
南阮北阮
南阮北阮

南阮北阮 — “Southern Ruan, Northern Ruan”

南阮北阮 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “describes families of the same clan living in the same area but with vast differences in wealth or social status, highlighting the contrast between the rich and the poor within a single lineage”. Literally, “Southern Ruan, Northern Ruan”.

Frequency

南阮北阮 Pronunciation and Pinyin

南阮北阮 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order
CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
南
nán9south direction
阮
ruǎn6ancient plucked string instrument
北
běi5north
阮
ruǎn6ancient plucked string instrument

Example Sentence with 南阮北阮

虽然他们都姓王,但住在这个小镇的南阮北阮,境况却大相径庭。
Although they all bear the surname Wang, the 'Southern Ruans and Northern Ruans' in this small town find themselves in vastly different circumstances.

Origin and Story of 南阮北阮

During the Wei-Jin period, Ruan Ji and his nephew Ruan Xian, two of the 'Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove,' lived on the south side of the road in their hometown. Other members of the Ruan clan lived on the north side. The Ruans on the south side were very poor.

According to local customs, people would air their clothes on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

Ruan Xian, unable to escape this tradition, simply took out a few pairs of coarse cloth shorts and hung them on a bamboo pole to dry, contrasting sharply with the elaborate silk garments displayed by the wealthier northern Ruans.

Idioms Related to 南阮北阮

More idioms starting with 南

  • nán南rén人jià驾chuán船,,běi北rén人chéng乘mǎ马different people have different skills
  • nán南guān冠chǔ楚qiú囚a captive or prisoner of war
  • nán南běi北dōng东xī西all directions; everywhere
  • nán南qù去běi北lái来to come and go
  • nán南shān山zhī之shòu寿long life like the South Mountain
  • nán南shān山kě可yí移Absolutely firm and unchangeable
  • nán南shān山kě可yí移,,pàn判bù不kě可yáo摇An unchangeable, firm judgment
  • nán南shān山kě可yí移,,cǐ此àn案bù不dòng动This case is final and unchangeable
  • nán南shān山yǒu有niǎo鸟,,běi北shān山zhāng张luo罗bark up the wrong tree
  • nán南shān山tiě铁àn案a settled and unalterable case
  • nán南shān山yǐn隐bào豹wise person living in seclusion
  • nán南zhōu州guān冠miǎn冕outstanding talent from the southern region

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Questions about 南阮北阮

What does 南阮北阮 mean?

南阮北阮 (nán ruǎn běi ruǎn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “describes families of the same clan living in the same area but with vast differences in wealth or social status, highlighting the contrast between the rich and the poor within a single lineage”.

How do you pronounce 南阮北阮?

南阮北阮 is pronounced nán ruǎn běi ruǎn in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 南阮北阮 literally mean?

Literally, 南阮北阮 means “Southern Ruan, Northern Ruan”. It is used to mean “describes families of the same clan living in the same area but with vast differences in wealth or social status, highlighting the contrast between the rich and the poor within a single lineage”.

Where does 南阮北阮 come from?

南阮北阮 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 南阮北阮?

指聚居一处而贫富各殊的同族人家。

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