男女授受不親

Chinese

 
man and woman; men and women; both sexes
man and woman; men and women; both sexes; common people; the masses
to not have direct contact when giving or receiving an item
trad. (男女授受不親) 男女 授受不親
simp. (男女授受不亲) 男女 授受不亲

Etymology

From Mencius:

豺狼男女授受不親 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
豺狼男女授受不亲 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Mencius, c. 4th century BCE
Sǎo nì bù yuán, shì cháiláng yě. Nánnǚshòushòubùqīn, lǐ yě; sǎo nì yuán zhī yǐ shǒu zhě, quán yě. [Pinyin]
He who would not so rescue the drowning woman is a wolf. For males and females not to allow their hands to touch in giving and receiving is the general rule; when a sister-in-law is drowning, to rescue her with the hand is a peculiar exigency.

Also from the Book of Rites:

:「好色。」諸侯漁色君子男女授受不親婦人左手姊妹女子男子寡婦婦人不問淫泆 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
:「好色。」诸侯渔色君子男女授受不亲妇人左手姊妹女子男子寡妇妇人不问淫泆 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: The Book of Rites, c. 4th – 2nd century BCE
Zǐ yún: “Hǎodé rú hǎosè.” Zhūhóu bù xià yúsè. Gù jūnzǐ yuǎn sè yǐ wéi mín jì. Gù nánnǚshòushòubùqīn. Yù fùrén zé jìn zuǒshǒu. Gū zǐmèi nǚzǐ zǐ yǐ jià ér fǎn, nánzǐ bù yǔ tóngxí ér zuò. Guǎfù bù yè kū. Fùrén jí, wèn zhī bùwèn qí jí. Yǐ cǐ fāng mín, mín yóu yínyì ér luàn yú zú. [Pinyin]
The Master said, 'The love of virtue should be like the love of beauty (from an inward constraint). Princes of states should not be like fishers for beauty (in the families) below them. Hence the superior man keeps aloof from beauty, in order to constitute a rule for the people. Thus men and women, in giving and receiving, do not allow their hands to touch; in driving his wife in a carriage, a husband advances his left hand; when a young aunt, a sister, or a daughter has been married, and returns (to her father's house), no male can sit on the same mat with her; a widow should not wail at night; when a wife is ill, in asking for her, the nature of her illness should not be mentioned:-in this way it was sought to keep the people (from irregular connexions); and yet there are those who become licentious, and introduce disorder and confusion among their kindred.'

Pronunciation


Proverb

男女授受不親

  1. Men and women should not touch each other when giving or receiving an item.

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (男女授受不親):
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