授受不亲 — “No direct physical contact in giving and receiving between sexes”
授受不亲 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “referring to the traditional Confucian etiquette that stipulated men and women should not directly hand objects to each other, emphasizing strict segregation between genders”. Literally, “No direct physical contact in giving and receiving between sexes”.
授受不亲 Pronunciation and Pinyin
授受不亲 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 授受不亲
Origin and Story of 授受不亲
During the Warring States period, Chunyu Kun, a renowned debater from the State of Qi, once asked the philosopher Mencius: 'It is considered proper (lǐ) that men and women should not directly hand objects to each other. But if a sister-in-law falls into the water, is it proper for her brother-in-law to reach out and save her with his hand?'
Mencius replied, 'Yes, that is also proper.'
Chunyu Kun then pressed, 'If everyone in the world were drowning, why would you not save them?'
Mencius responded, 'One should save the world with principles (dào), not necessarily by reaching out a hand in every single instance.'
Idioms Related to 授受不亲
Synonyms of 授受不亲
More idioms starting with 授
- shòu授yè业jiě解huò惑impart knowledge and clarify doubts
- shòu授rén人yǐ以bǐng柄give others a handle against oneself
- shòu授rén人kǒu口shí实give others a handle for criticism
- shòu授shǒu手yuán援nì溺offer a helping hand to those in distress
- shòu授bǐng柄yú于rén人give others leverage or power
- shòu授zhí职wéi惟xián贤appoint only the virtuous and talented
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Open the tool →Questions about 授受不亲
What does 授受不亲 mean?
授受不亲 (shòu shòu bù qīn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “referring to the traditional Confucian etiquette that stipulated men and women should not directly hand objects to each other, emphasizing strict segregation between genders”.
How do you pronounce 授受不亲?
授受不亲 is pronounced shòu shòu bù qīn in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 授受不亲 literally mean?
Literally, 授受不亲 means “no direct physical contact in giving and receiving between sexes”. It is used to mean “referring to the traditional Confucian etiquette that stipulated men and women should not directly hand objects to each other, emphasizing strict segregation between genders”.
Where does 授受不亲 come from?
授受不亲 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 授受不亲?
授：给予；受：接受。旧指男女不能互相亲手递受物品。指儒家束缚男女的礼教。