proverb · Legacy record
A wife is sought for her virtue, a concubine for her beauty.
A wife is sought for her virtue, a concubine for her beauty.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A wife chosen for virtue and a concubine for beauty divides women into roles with different selection criteria. The saying expresses an instrumental, gendered relationship hierarchy.
What the words are saying
A critical explanation identifies that framework without endorsing ownership, unequal dignity or an ideal based on appearance. Consent and the person’s own aims are absent from the formulation and should not be erased. The anthology label does not verify a universal historical or current practice.
Everyday example
A reader questions why the formulation evaluates women by assigned roles while omitting their choices.
When to use it
Use it critically to examine the role-and-value distinction.
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What it does not mean
No gender hierarchy, ownership entitlement or universal relationship custom is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
China
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 254; PDF page 30; collection label: China
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- China