📖 Meaning
This idiom describes a family that has declined in fortune and has few members or descendants. It conveys a sense of a household that is small, weak, and lacking in prosperity or influence. It is often used to explain why a family feels powerless to stand up against stronger opponents.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in the novel 'Spring Tide Urgent' (春潮急) by the modern author Ke Fei (克非), which depicts rural life and social struggles in early twentieth-century China. In the story, a woman who feels her household is small and weak chooses to swallow her grievances and hide indoors rather than confront a more powerful family. The expression captures the vulnerability of a modest, declining family unable to resist oppression.
💡 Example Usage
他家门单户薄，遇到纠纷只能忍气吞声。
Coming from a small and declining household, he could only swallow his grievances when disputes arose.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 门单户薄
- Pinyin: mén dān hù bó
- Literal Translation: 门, 单, 户, 薄
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4