贵贱

貴賤

guìjiàn

noun #45,813

Meanings

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

Characters

noble / expensive

Examples

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.

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