妾 (qiè) - Concubine & secondary wife in polygamous households

妾Tone 4

qiè ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 立

器情

妾 · qiè

Concubine;

secondary wife in polygamous households;

a humble self-reference used by women in ancient China.

Concubinesecondary wife in polygamous householdsa humble self-reference used by women in ancient

Usage highlights

ConcubineTake as concubineWife and concubinesConcubine's statusAbolish concubineHumble self

Synonyms

  • 侧室— side chamber (euphemism for concubine)
  • 偏房— side room (euphemism for concubine)
  • 小老婆— little wife (colloquial for concubine)

Antonyms

  • 妻— wife (primary spouse)
  • 正室— main wife

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • In imperial China, wealthy men might have a wife and several concubines (妾).
  • Ancient women sometimes used 妾 as a humble self-reference when speaking to superiors.
  • The legal status of a concubine (妾的地位) was lower than that of the primary wife.

Collocations

  • Concubine(妾)
  • Take as concubine(纳妾)
  • Wife and concubines(妻妾)
  • Concubine's status(妾的身份)
  • Abolish concubine(废妾)
  • Humble self-reference(妾身)

Idioms

  • Three wives and four concubines(三妻四妾)
  • Wife and concubine in disorder(妻妾不分)
  • The legal wife drives out the concubine(正妻逐妾)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically referred to a secondary wife in polygamous systems, common in imperial China until the early 20th century.
  • Used as a humble self-reference by women in classical literature and historical contexts, indicating submission.

FAQ