贵贱

貴賤

guìjiàn

noun #45,813

Meanings

1 noble and lowly
2 high and low social status
3 the social hierarchy of ruler/subject, father/son, husband/wife
4 (of a price) high or low

Characters

noble / expensive

Examples

HSK 5

人不分贵贱，都应受到尊重。

Rén bù fēn guìjiàn, dōu yīng shòudào zūnzhòng.

Regardless of social rank, every person deserves respect.

HSK 7-9

这件古董不论贵贱，他都要买下。

Zhè jiàn gǔdǒng bùlùn guìjiàn, tā dōu yào mǎi xià.

He intends to buy this antique no matter the price.

Tips

culture

贵贱 was a foundational pair in Confucian social order - ranking ruler over subject, father over son, husband over wife. The phrase 不分贵贱 ('without distinction of rank') is the modern egalitarian rebuttal.

Stroke Order

贵 guì

贱 jiàn