📖 Meaning
To seduce others with flirtatious and coquettish behavior in order to engage in illicit sexual relations. It describes someone who uses their charms to lure people into improper relationships, often with malicious intent.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Yuan Dynasty play 'The Chain Stratagem' (连环计) by an anonymous author. In the second act, a character complains: 'I kindly set up a feast and prepared wine, but you came in selling your charms and doing wicked deeds.' The phrase was used to condemn those who use seductive behavior to entice others into immoral conduct. It later became a general term for flirtatious seduction combined with improper actions.
💡 Example Usage
她不甘寂寞，卖俏行奸，败坏了门风。
Unable to endure loneliness, she flirted and engaged in illicit affairs, disgracing the family reputation.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 卖俏行奸
- Pinyin: mài qiào xíng jiān
- Literal Translation: sell, charm, do, wicked
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4