待字闺中 (dāi) — (of a young woman) not yet betrothed; still unmarried
Definition
Literary idiom for an unmarried young woman of marriageable age. '字' refers to the name given upon betrothal, so the phrase literally means 'still waiting for her betrothal name in the boudoir.'
idiom
(of a young woman) not yet betrothedstill unmarried
Examples
- ，待字闺中。Tā jīn nián èr shí wǔ suì, réng rán dāi.She is twenty-five this year and still unmarried.
- 待字闺中，。Gǔ dài nǚ zǐ dāi shí, hěn shǎo chū mén.In ancient times, unmarried girls rarely went out.
- 待字闺中，。Tā suī yǐ dāi, dàn yǐ yǒu xīn shàng rén.Although she is not yet betrothed, she already has someone in her heart.
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