侯门如海 — “A noble's gate is like the sea”
侯门如海 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “describes a situation where former acquaintances become estranged or inaccessible due to a significant disparity in social status, often after one enters a powerful or wealthy household”. Literally, “A noble's gate is like the sea”.
侯门如海 Pronunciation and Pinyin
侯门如海 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 侯门如海
Origin and Story of 侯门如海
During the Tang Dynasty, a scholar named Cui Jiao fell deeply in love with a maid from his aunt's household. Their affection was profound.
Later, the maid was sold to a powerful official (Lianshuai), and they could no longer meet.
One day, Cui Jiao encountered her on the road but was unable to speak with her. Deeply moved, Cui Jiao wrote a poem that included the lines: "Princes and nobles chase behind, Lü Zhu's tears fall on her silk kerchief. Once entered the noble's gate, deep as the sea, from then on, Xiao Lang is a stranger."
Idioms Related to 侯门如海
Synonyms of 侯门如海
More idioms starting with 侯
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Open the tool →Questions about 侯门如海
What does 侯门如海 mean?
侯门如海 (hóu mén rú hǎi) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “describes a situation where former acquaintances become estranged or inaccessible due to a significant disparity in social status, often after one enters a powerful or wealthy household”.
How do you pronounce 侯门如海?
侯门如海 is pronounced hóu mén rú hǎi in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 侯门如海 literally mean?
Literally, 侯门如海 means “a noble's gate is like the sea”. It is used to mean “describes a situation where former acquaintances become estranged or inaccessible due to a significant disparity in social status, often after one enters a powerful or wealthy household”.
Where does 侯门如海 come from?
侯门如海 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 侯门如海?
侯门：旧指显贵人家；海：形容深。侯门象大海那样深邃。比喻旧时相识的人，后因地位悬殊而疏远隔绝。