📖 Meaning
Refers to a young child who has not yet come of age. In ancient China, the unit of length called 'chi' was shorter than the modern one, so 'five chi' described the height of a child. It is synonymous with the idiom '五尺之童' (a child of five chi).
📜 Origin Story
This idiom draws on the ancient Chinese unit of length, the 'chi,' which was considerably shorter than its modern equivalent, making 'five chi' roughly the height of a young boy. The term '竖子' was a common classical Chinese word for a child or servant boy, sometimes carrying a dismissive or contemptuous tone. The phrase appears in various classical texts to denote someone young, inexperienced, and of low status. No single definitive origin story is associated with this particular variant; it is an alternative form of the more widely cited '五尺之童.'
💡 Example Usage
纵是五尺竖子，亦知忠义二字不可忘。
Even a young child knows that loyalty and righteousness must never be forgotten.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 五尺竖子
- Pinyin: wǔ chǐ shù zǐ
- Literal Translation: five, chi, youngster, child
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4