四德

sìdé

noun

Meanings

1 the four virtues
2 the Confucian feminine virtues: morality, proper speech, proper bearing, and needlework skill

Characters

Examples

HSK 6

三从四德是过去对妇女的要求。

Sāncóng-sìdé shì guòqù duì fùnǚ de yāoqiú.

The three obediences and four virtues were the demands once placed on women.

HSK 7-9

四德指妇德、妇言、妇容、妇功。

Sìdé zhǐ fù dé, fù yán, fù róng, fù gōng.

The four virtues are female virtue, speech, bearing, and skill at work.

Tips

history

四德 originally had a male sense - 孝 piety, 悌 brotherly respect, 忠 loyalty, 信 faith - but the feminine reading from 《周礼·天官》 (妇德/妇言/妇容/妇功) became dominant when paired with 三从. The pairing 三从四德 was canonized by 《女诫》 of 班昭 (Eastern Han) and remained the conduct manual for imperial-era women until the 20th-century reforms.

Stroke Order

四 sì

德 dé