📖 Meaning
三姑六婆 originally referred to nine categories of women with disreputable professions in ancient China. The 'three aunts' were the Buddhist nun, Daoist nun, and fortune-telling nun; the 'six old women' were the brokeress, matchmaker, shamaness, procuress, herbalist, and midwife. Today the term is used metaphorically to describe idle, meddling, or dishonest women.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom comes from Tao Zongyi's 'Chuogeng Lu' (Record of Rest from Farming), written during the Yuan Dynasty. In Chapter 13, Tao enumerates the 'three aunts' as the Buddhist nun, Daoist nun, and divination nun, and the 'six old women' as the brokeress, matchmaker, shamaness, procuress, medicine woman, and midwife. These women were regarded as being of low social standing and were often associated with deceit and troublemaking. Over time the term became a pejorative label for women who meddled in others' affairs or lived by dishonest means.
💡 Example Usage
她成天到处串门说闲话，邻里都叫她三姑六婆。
She goes from door to door gossiping all day, and the neighbors call her a meddling busybody.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 三姑六婆
- Pinyin: sān gū liù pó
- Literal Translation: three, aunt, six, old woman
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4