📖 Meaning
A phrase referring to a large group of friends or companions of various kinds. It often carries a slightly negative connotation, implying casual or disreputable associates rather than close, trustworthy friends.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in Feng Menglong's 'Xingshi Hengyan' (Awakening the World Through Persistent Words), a collection of vernacular stories from the Ming Dynasty. In one tale, the text describes how a class of idle youths would gather their three peng and four you to go hawking, hound-hunting, and riding horses for sport. The phrase came to characterize the loose crowds of companions that wastrel sons kept around them for pleasure-seeking rather than serious pursuits.
💡 Example Usage
他整日与三朋四友吃喝玩乐，不务正业。
He spent his days eating, drinking, and playing with his crowd of casual friends, neglecting any real work.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 三朋四友
- Pinyin: sān péng sì yǒu
- Literal Translation: three, friends, four, companions
- Category: Lifestyle
- Characters: 4