📖 Meaning
Literally a rough bamboo gate and a small wedge-shaped hole in the wall serving as a doorway. It describes the humble dwelling of poor people. The phrase is used metaphorically for impoverished living conditions.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the 'Book of Rites' (礼记·儒行), a Confucian classic compiled during the Zhou dynasty. The passage portrays the life of a true scholar (儒) who, despite owning only one mu of land, lives contentedly in a small enclosed room with a bamboo gate and a jade-shaped hole in the wall as a door. It emphasizes that a scholar's worth lies in virtue rather than material wealth. The description pairs '筚门圭窬' with '蓬户瓮牖' (a grass door and an earthenware-jar window) to paint a complete picture of poverty.
💡 Example Usage
他出身筚门圭窬，却凭苦读考取功名，终成一代名臣。
He was born in a humble bamboo-gate dwelling, yet through diligent study he passed the imperial exams and eventually became a renowned minister.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 筚门圭窬
- Pinyin: bì mén guī yú
- Literal Translation: bamboo gate, jade-shaped wall-hole
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4