贫贱糟糠 — “Poverty and coarse food”
贫贱糟糠 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a wife who has shared hardships and poverty with one from the beginning; a faithful wife of one's humble days”. Literally, “Poverty and coarse food”.
贫贱糟糠 Pronunciation and Pinyin
贫贱糟糠 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 贫贱糟糠
Origin and Story of 贫贱糟糠
During the early Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Liu Xuan (Guangwu Emperor) appointed Song Hong, who had served as a court attendant in the Western Han Dynasty, to the position of 'Grand Master of Remonstrance'.
Emperor Liu Xuan's older sister was a widow and developed feelings for Song Hong. The Emperor intended to marry his sister to Song Hong and asked him for his views on the saying '贵易交，富易妻' (one changes friends when becoming noble, and changes wives when becoming rich).
Song Hong replied, 'Friends made in poverty should not be forgotten, and a wife who shared coarse food during humble days should not be abandoned from the hall.' Hearing this, Emperor Liu Xuan had no choice but to drop the idea.
Idioms Related to 贫贱糟糠
More idioms starting with 贫
- pín贫bù不xué学jiǎn俭Poverty compels frugality
- pín贫bù不xué学jiǎn俭，，fù富bù不xué学shē奢Poverty teaches frugality, wealth teaches extravagance
- pín贫ér儿pù曝fù富poor person flaunting wealth
- pín贫zuǐ嘴è恶shé舌sharp-tongued and unpleasant
- pín贫zuǐ嘴huá滑shé舌garrulous and sharp-tongued
- pín贫zuǐ嘴bó薄shé舌garrulous and sharp-tongued
- pín贫zuǐ嘴jiàn贱shé舌offensively talkative and sarcastic
- pín贫zuǐ嘴è饿shé舌excessively talkative and annoying
- pín贫kùn困liáo潦dǎo倒impoverished and dejected
- pín贫shì士shì市guā瓜judge people by outward appearance
- pín贫fù富bù不jūn均uneven distribution of wealth
- pín贫fù富xuán悬shū殊wide gap between rich and poor
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Open the tool →Questions about 贫贱糟糠
What does 贫贱糟糠 mean?
贫贱糟糠 (pín jiàn zāo kāng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a wife who has shared hardships and poverty with one from the beginning; a faithful wife of one's humble days”.
How do you pronounce 贫贱糟糠?
贫贱糟糠 is pronounced pín jiàn zāo kāng in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 贫贱糟糠 literally mean?
Literally, 贫贱糟糠 means “Poverty and coarse food”. It is used to mean “a wife who has shared hardships and poverty with one from the beginning; a faithful wife of one's humble days”.
Where does 贫贱糟糠 come from?
贫贱糟糠 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 贫贱糟糠?
指贫贱时一起过患难生活的妻子。