📖 Meaning
This idiom means that a mother gains honor and elevated social status through her son's prominence or success. It reflects the traditional Chinese social dynamic where a woman's standing could rise if her son achieved a high position. The phrase captures the reciprocal nature of family honor in Confucian society.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the 'Gongyang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals' (《公羊传》), specifically from the section on the first year of Duke Yin (隐公元年), dating to the Spring and Autumn period. The original text discusses the principles of noble succession: 'The son is noble because of the mother; the mother is noble because of the son' (子以母贵，母以子贵). This referred to the Zhou dynasty's rules of succession where a concubine's status could be elevated if her son became the heir. The phrase later came to describe the broader social phenomenon of a mother gaining honor through her son's achievements.
💡 Example Usage
她本是妾室，因子中进士而母以子贵，获封诰命夫人。
She was originally a concubine, but because her son passed the imperial examination, she rose in status through her son's success and was granted the title of Lady of Imperial Mandate.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 母以子贵
- Pinyin: mǔ yǐ zǐ guì
- Literal Translation: mother, because of, son, becomes noble
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4