大家闺秀

大家閨秀
dàjiā-guīxiù
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 a young lady from a noble or wealthy family
  2. 2 a well-bred unmarried daughter of a distinguished house

Examples

HSK 6
Xiǎoshuō lǐ de nǚ zhǔjué shì wèi dàjiā-guīxiù.
The novel's heroine is a lady of noble birth.
HSK 7-9
Tā jǔzhǐ wényǎ, yí kàn jiùshì dàjiā-guīxiù.
Her elegant bearing makes it obvious she comes from a refined family.

Tips

history
Recorded in 《世说新语·贤媛》 (A New Account of the Tales of the World): 顾家妇清心玉映,自是闺房之秀 - a refined young woman of the inner chambers. Here 大家 means "great house / aristocratic family" (NOT "everyone"), = inner women's quarters, = the finest among them.
mistakes
Don't read 大家 here as the everyday word for "everybody" - in this idiom it specifically means a great noble household. Compare 大家 (everyone, daily speech) vs 大家 (great house / great master, literary).

Stroke Order

jiā
guī
xiù