📖 Meaning
A family that has produced scholars and readers for many generations. It refers to a household with a long tradition of learning and literary culture, where reading and education have been valued across successive generations.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom appears in Gao Yunlan's novel 'Small City Spring and Autumn' (小城春秋), Chapter 13, where the character Liu Mei maintains the dignified bearing of a scholarly family despite being furious. The term reflects the traditional Chinese reverence for families with generations of literati. Such households were respected in imperial society for their cultivation of learning and refinement.
💡 Example Usage
他出身书香世家，自幼饱读诗书，气质温文尔雅。
Born into a scholarly family, he was well-read in poetry and classics from a young age and carried a refined, gentle demeanor.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 书香世家
- Pinyin: shū xiāng shì jiā
- Literal Translation: book, fragrance, generations, family
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4