从良

從良

cóngliáng

verb #37,181

Meanings

1 (of a prostitute) to leave the trade and marry
2 (of a slave) to win one's freedom
3 to go straight

Characters

good / respectable

Examples

她终于从良嫁给了一个商人。

Tā zhōngyú cóngliáng jià gěi le yī gè shāngrén.

She finally left the trade and married a merchant.

在古代，从良并不容易。

Zài gǔdài, cóngliáng bìng bù róngyì.

In ancient times, leaving the trade was not easy.

Tips

history

Literally "to follow [the path of] the respectable." 良 here means 良民 ("law-abiding commoner"), the social class above 贱民 ("debased people," which in imperial China legally included entertainers, prostitutes, and slaves). The word survives mainly in historical fiction.

Stroke Order

从 cóng

良 liáng