📖 Meaning
A saying meaning that when a daughter comes of age, she should be married off in a timely manner. It reflects the traditional view that marriage is a natural and expected life stage for adult women. The phrase is often paired with its male counterpart '男大须婚' (a grown man must marry).
📜 Origin Story
This phrase originates from chapter 54 of the Ming dynasty novel 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' by Luo Guanzhong. In the story, the elderly Dowager Sun (国太), mother of Sun Quan, inspects Liu Bei at a temple and is pleased with him. She then declares: 'A grown man must marry, and a grown woman must wed—this has been the eternal principle since ancient times.' The saying encapsulates the traditional Chinese belief that marriage at the appropriate age is a fundamental social norm. It also appears in Cao Xueqin's 'Dream of the Red Chamber' (chapter 90) during the Qing dynasty, showing its enduring usage across centuries.
💡 Example Usage
俗话说女大须嫁，女儿的婚事该张罗起来了。
As the saying goes, a grown daughter must be married off—it's time to start making wedding arrangements for her.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 女大须嫁
- Pinyin: nǚ dà xū jià
- Literal Translation: woman, grown up, must, marry
- Category: Lifestyle
- Characters: 4