大門不出,二門不邁

Chinese

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the outermost gate of a house or building; front gate; entrance
the outermost gate of a house or building; front gate; entrance; door
 
not; no
to go out; to come out; to occur
to go out; to come out; to occur; to produce; to go beyond; to rise; to put forth; to happen; (a measure word for dramas, plays, or operas)
 
two
opening; door; gate
opening; door; gate; doorway; gateway; valve; switch; way to do something; knack; family; house; (religious) sect; school (of thought); class; category; (taxonomy) phylum or division
 
not; no take a step
trad. (大門不出,二門不邁) 大門
simp. (大门不出,二门不迈) 大门

Etymology

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Literally: one neither goes outside of the front gate, nor strides toward the second (inner) gate.

Pronunciation

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Idiom

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大門不出,二門不邁

  1. to never leave home, and have little contact with the outside world; to live a sheltered life