嫠 (lí) - Widow — refers to a woman whose husband
嫠 · lí
Widow — refers to a woman whose husband has died and who has not remarried.
Widow — refers to a woman whose husband
Usage highlights
WidowWidow's sorrowWidow living aloneWidows and orphansWidow's loyaltySupport for widows
Usage & contexts
Examples
- She became a widow at a young age (年轻嫠妇).
- The widow lived alone in the old house (嫠居).
- He wrote a poem about the widow's sorrow (嫠妇之悲).
- The community supported the widow and her children (抚恤嫠寡).
Collocations
- Widow(嫠妇)
- Widow's sorrow(嫠忧)
- Widow living alone(嫠居)
- Widows and orphans(嫠寡)
- Widow's loyalty(嫠节)
- Support for widows(恤嫠)
Idioms
- The widow of Wei worried about the state(嫠不恤纬)
- Widows and orphans(嫠寡孤独)
- Widow's chastity(嫠节)
Cultural background
FAQ- In traditional Chinese society, widows were expected to remain chaste and not remarry, a practice valorized as 'widow chastity'.
- The character appears in classical texts describing women who lost their husbands and faced social and economic challenges.
- Confucian ethics emphasized the protection and support of widows as a social responsibility.