鰥寡孤獨

Chinese

widows and widowers orphans and the childless
trad. (鰥寡孤獨) 鰥寡 孤獨
simp. (鳏寡孤独) 鳏寡 孤独

Etymology

From Mencius (《孟子·梁惠王下》):

老而無妻曰鰥,老而無夫曰寡,老而無子曰獨,幼而無父曰孤。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
老而无妻曰鳏,老而无夫曰寡,老而无子曰独,幼而无父曰孤。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Mencius, c. 4th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
Lǎo ér wú qī yuē guān, lǎo ér wú fū yuē guǎ, lǎo ér wú zǐ yuē dú, yòu ér wú fù yuē gū. [Pinyin]
There were the old and wifeless, or widowers; the old and husbandless, or widows; the old and childless, or solitaries; the young and fatherless, or orphans

Pronunciation


Idiom

鰥寡孤獨

  1. people who have no one to rely on
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