Chinese idiom · 成语
贤妻良母
Meaning
A good wife and mother; a traditional description of devoted family care.
Character by character
Origin and story
Social idealThe expression praises a woman in the paired roles of wife and mother. It is a social ideal rather than an idiom with one securely established ancient anecdote. Its modern history also belongs to debates about women's education: research on Shan Shili documents her early twentieth-century translations of Japanese works on domestic science and female education, which helped circulate this ideal in China.
That background should not be reduced to a timeless rule for all women. The phrase can express affectionate appreciation of someone's family care, but it can also carry restrictive expectations. Context matters, and family roles do not define a woman's entire identity or worth.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
她说自己愿意做贤妻良母，也希望继续追求事业。
She says she wants to be a caring wife and mother and also continue pursuing her career.
A traditional compliment that can carry gender-role expectations; use with attention to the person's own wishes.