📖 Meaning
Describes a large number of people crowded close together, arriving one after another without interruption. The idiom paints a picture of a bustling, packed scene where people press shoulder to shoulder in threes and fives.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom comes from the Ming dynasty writer Feng Menglong's vernacular novels. A variant form, 挨三顶四, appears in his 《平妖传》, where a crowd presses forward in close succession to beg a doctor for a pulse diagnosis. The form 挨三顶五 is used in another of his works, 《古今小说》(卷五), describing merchants and travelers thronging into an inn with their goods. As a Ming-dynasty colloquial expression, it reflects the vivid, lively language of early Chinese vernacular fiction.
💡 Example Usage
庙会上人群挨三顶五，把整条街都挤满了。
At the temple fair, the crowd packed in threes and fives, filling the entire street.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 挨三顶五
- Pinyin: āi sān dǐng wǔ
- Literal Translation: lean close three, press against five
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4