📖 Meaning
Literally means forcing a virtuous woman into prostitution. It is used metaphorically to describe compelling someone to do something bad or immoral against their will.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from modern Chinese literary criticism and social commentary, appearing in publications such as the Wenhui Daily (文汇报) in 1989. It reflects a long-standing social concern depicted in literature from ancient to modern times, where vulnerable individuals were coerced into immoral livelihoods. The expression has since evolved into a common metaphor for any situation where people are pressured into wrongdoing.
💡 Example Usage
旧社会的黑帮常常逼良为娼，害得许多无辜女子家破人亡。
In the old society, gangs often forced virtuous women into prostitution, causing many innocent women to lose their families and lives.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 逼良为娼
- Pinyin: bī liáng wéi chāng
- Literal Translation: force, good woman, to become, prostitute
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4