姨太太

yítàitai

noun

Measure Word

一位姨太太 wèi

Meanings

1 concubine
2 secondary wife (old society)

Characters

great; (in 太太) wife

Examples

HSK 6

这部小说讲的是大宅门里几位姨太太的故事。

Zhèbù xiǎoshuō jiǎng de shì dà zhái mén lǐ jǐ wèi yítàitai de gùshi.

The novel tells the story of several concubines in a great household.

HSK 7-9

他在旧社会娶了三房姨太太。

Tā zài jiù shèhuì qǔ le sān fáng yítàitai.

In the old society he took three concubines.

Tips

culture

Before 1950, wealthy Chinese men could take 姨太太 (concubines) in addition to a primary wife (正室). The practice was abolished by the 1950 Marriage Law. The term now appears mainly in historical fiction and TV dramas like 大宅门.

register

Strictly historical/literary today - referring to a modern mistress, the colloquial term is 小三.

Stroke Order

姨 yí

太 tài