身怀六甲

身懷六甲

shēnhuáiliùjiǎ

idiom

Meanings

1 to be pregnant
2 with child (literary / euphemistic)

Characters

carry (in womb)

jiǎ (first heavenly stem)

Examples

她身怀六甲，不便远行。

Tā shēnhuáiliùjiǎ, bù biàn yuǎnxíng.

She is expecting, so long trips are inconvenient.

皇后身怀六甲，全宫上下都很紧张。

Huánghòu shēnhuáiliùjiǎ, quán gōng shàngxià dōu hěn jǐnzhāng.

The empress is pregnant and the whole palace is on edge.

Tips

culture

六甲 refers to the six jiǎ days in the sexagenary cycle (甲子、甲戌、甲申、甲午、甲辰、甲寅), traditionally associated with the creation of life. The 《隋书》 records a 《六甲贯胎书》 on pregnancy.

register

Literary and formal euphemism for pregnancy. Modern colloquial: 怀孕 (huái yùn) or 有喜了 (yǒu xǐ le).

Stroke Order

身 shēn

怀 huái

六 liù

甲 jiǎ