📖 Meaning
Refers to choosing a son-in-law. The phrase alludes to the story of the calligrapher Wang Xizhi being selected while lying casually on the eastern bed. It describes the act of selecting a suitable husband for one's daughter.
📜 Origin Story
The allusion traces back to the Jin Dynasty, when the official Xi Jian (郗鉴) sent a messenger to Wang Dao's household to select a son-in-law from his young kinsmen. While the others comported themselves with formal propriety, Wang Xizhi (王羲之) lay reclining on the eastern bed eating flatbread, entirely at ease. Impressed by his natural and unpretentious demeanor, Xi Jian chose him. The specific phrasing "东床择对" later appears in Ming Dynasty writer Wu Cheng'en's (吴承恩) celebratory inscription "寿胡母牛老夫人秩障词," praising the selection of an outstanding son-in-law.
💡 Example Usage
胡家为独女东床择对，求一才学出众之婿。
The Hu family sought a son-in-law of outstanding talent for their only daughter, carefully weighing each candidate.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 东床择对
- Pinyin: dōng chuáng zé duì
- Literal Translation: east, bed, choose, match
- Category: Action
- Characters: 4