不孝有三，無後為大

See also: 不孝有三，无后为大

Chinese

		unfilial; contrary to filial piety	to have; there is; there are to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be	three		without progeny	because of; for; to because of; for; to; act as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to become	big; great; huge big; great; huge; large; major; wide; deep; oldest; eldest; doctor
trad. (不孝有三，無後為大/不孝有三，無後爲大)		不孝	有	三	，	無後	為/爲	大
simp. (不孝有三，无后为大)		不孝	有	三	，	无后	为	大

Etymology

From Mencius:

孟子曰：「不孝有三，無後為大。舜不告而娶，為無後也，君子以為猶告也。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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孟子曰：「不孝有三，无后为大。舜不告而娶，为无后也，君子以为犹告也。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

Mèngzǐ yuē: “Bùxiào yǒu sān, wúhòu wéi dà. Shùn bù gào ér qǔ, wéi wúhòu yě, jūnzǐ yǐwèi yóu gào yě.” [Pinyin]

Mencius said, 'There are three things which are unfilial, and to have no posterity is the greatest of them. Shun married without informing his parents because of this, lest he should have no posterity. Superior men consider that his doing so was the same as if he had informed them.'

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bùxiào yǒu sān, wú hòu wéi dà

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄠˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄙㄢ , ㄨˊ ㄏㄡˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄉㄚˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): bat¹ haau³ jau⁵ saam¹, mou⁴ hau⁶ wai⁴ daai⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: bùxiào yǒu sān, wú hòu wéi dà [Phonetic: búxiào yǒu sān, wú hòu wéi dà]
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄠˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄙㄢ , ㄨˊ ㄏㄡˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄉㄚˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: bùsiào yǒu san, wú hòu wéi dà
    • Wade–Giles: pu⁴-hsiao⁴ yu³ san¹, wu² hou⁴ wei² ta⁴
    • Yale: bù-syàu yǒu sān-, wú hòu wéi dà
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: bushiaw yeou san, wu how wei dah
    • Palladius: бусяо ю сань, у хоу вэй да (busjao ju sanʹ, u xou vɛj da)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ sän⁵⁵ u³⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ tä⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: bat¹ haau³ jau⁵ saam¹, mou⁴ hau⁶ wai⁴ daai⁶
    • Yale: bāt haau yáuh sāam, mòuh hauh wàih daaih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: bat⁷ haau³ jau⁵ saam¹, mou⁴ hau⁶ wai⁴ daai⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: bed¹ hao³ yeo⁵ sam¹, mou⁴ heo⁶ wei⁴ dai⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pɐt̚⁵ haːu̯³³ jɐu̯¹³ saːm⁵⁵ mou̯²¹ hɐu̯²² wɐi̯²¹ taːi̯²²/

Proverb

不孝有三，無後為大

1. There are three ways to be unfilial; the worst is to not produce offspring.

   • 「山東我見到過太多的家暴黨的例子了……不孝有三，無後為大的觀念根深蒂固，但是我的精子沒有活性……為了這事我爸差點跟我鬧翻了。」 [MSC, trad.]
     「山东我见到过太多的家暴党的例子了……不孝有三，无后为大的观念根深蒂固，但是我的精子没有活性……为了这事我爸差点跟我闹翻了。」 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2021 January 15, 张楠茜, 《拯救可橙： 被父母强送矫治的跨性别者》, in 《鳳凰週刊》 [Phoenix Weekly], →ISSN, issue 747, page 42

     “Shāndōng wǒ jiàndào guò tài duō de jiābàodǎng de lìzi le...... Bùxiào yǒu sān, wú hòu wèi dà de guānniàn gēnshēndìgù, dànshì wǒ de jīngzǐ méiyǒu huóxìng...... Wèile zhè shì wǒ bà chādiǎn gēn wǒ nàofān le.” [Pinyin]

     I have seen too many cases of transgender people suffering domestic violence in Shandong… the notion that "there are three ways to be unfilial; the worst is to not produce offspring" has been deeply ingrained in the minds of many, but my sperms weren't active… my dad almost fell out with me about this.