📖 Meaning
This idiom refers to a man who has wives or concubines settled in more than one household, so that his children are scattered across several families. It can also simply denote having a large number of children. The phrase is a vivid vernacular way of describing a sprawling, divided family arrangement.
📜 Origin Story
There is no recorded literary origin or attributed dynasty for this idiom; the authoritative sources list 出处 (origin) as unknown. It is a colloquial folk expression that likely arose from the practice of polygamy and multiple households in old Chinese society, where a wealthy or powerful man might keep wives and concubines in different residences. The characters 窝 (nest) and 块 (piece) suggest separate homes and scattered offspring, evoking the image of children huddled in different nests. It remains a rustic, spoken-style expression rather than a classical literary allusion.
💡 Example Usage
他年轻时四处纳妾,如今三窝两块,家事也多了起来。
In his youth he took concubines in several places, and now with children scattered across multiple households, family affairs have multiplied.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 三窝两块
- Pinyin: sān wō liǎng kuài
- Literal Translation: three, nests, two, pieces
- Category: Lifestyle
- Characters: 4