孟母三迁

mèng mǔ sān qiān

  • Meaning

    Literal

    Mencius's mother moved several times

    Usage

    To create a good environment for one's children to learn and study

  • Connotation

    Positive

  • Usage Examples

    古时候有“孟母三迁,择邻而居”,现在的父母对孩子的关爱比起孟母有过之而无不及。 | Gǔ shíhòu yǒu “mèng mǔ sān qiān, zé lín ér jū”, xiànzài de fùmǔ duì háizi de guān'ài bǐ qǐ mèng mǔ yǒuguò zhī ér wúbù jí.
    In ancient times, people would work hard to find the best home and learning environment for one's children. Modern parents go even further than that for their kids.
    [Source]

  • Equivalents

    English

    None

    Chinese

    None

  • Entry Notes

    The 三 (sān) in this story actually means "several," not "three"

    There are several versions of this story, and I've only translated one of them here

  • Origin

    《孟子题词》(Mèng Zǐ Tí Cí), a work by later Hàn (东汉, Dōng Hàn, 25 - 220) author 赵歧(Zhào Qí).

  • Story

    When the great Confucian scholar 孟子 (Mèng Zǐ, or Mencius) was little, his father passed away. At the time, the family was living near a graveyard, and 孟子 and the neighbors' children started mimicking the behaviors of graveyard visitors when playing. They would pretend to weep loudly and pay respects to the dead, and they would even put on fake funeral processions. When 孟子's mother saw this, she thought to herself: "This is not okay. I can't let my child live here!" And so, they moved.

    Their new home was close to the city marketplace, and was especially close to the marketplace's butcher in particular. 孟子 and the neighbors' children soon learned how to barter like a businessman and how to slaughter various kinds of animals. When his mother learned of this, she said, "I can't let my child live here either!" And so, she moved them again.

    This time, their new home was by a school. Local officials often came to a Confucian temple to offer respects, and from this, 孟子 learned proper behavior and etiquette. This satisfied his mother, and they didn't move again after that.

  • Citations and Helpful Resources

    • 汉语成语小词典 (hànyǔ chéngyǔ xiǎo cídiǎn)
    • 现代汉语规范词典 (xiàndài hànyǔ guīfàn cídiǎn)
    • 多功能成语词典 (duō gōngnéng chéngyǔ cídiǎn)
    • 汉语大词典 (hànyǔ dà cídiǎn)
    • ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary
    • Pleco Basic Chinese-English Dictionary
    • 百度百科[x]
    • 三人行[x]
    • 成语 t086[x]
    • 故事365[x]
    • 故事大全网[x]