sān
jiào
jiǔ
liú

idiom
common

Meaning of 三教九流

三教九流 means the Three Teachings (Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism) and the Nine Schools of thought (various ancient philosophical schools); various religious and academic schools; all kinds of professions, trades, and industries. Pronounced sān jiào jiǔ liú.

  • the Three Teachings (Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism) and the Nine Schools of thought (various ancient philosophical schools)
  • various religious and academic schools; all kinds of professions, trades, and industries
  • people from all walks of life; people of various social backgrounds (sometimes implying mixed or lower social strata)

Definitions & Examples

Zhōng
guó
dài
de
sān
jiào
jiǔ
liú
duì
hòu
shì
wén
huà
yǐng
xiǎng
shēn
yuǎn
 

The Three Teachings and Nine Schools of ancient China had a profound influence on later culture.

Sān
jiào
jiǔ
liú
zhōng
de
jiǔ
liú
zhǐ
de
shì
xiān
qín
shí
de
jiǔ
zhǔ
yào
xiǎng
liú
pài
 

The 'Nine Schools' in the Three Teachings and Nine Schools refers to the nine major schools of thought during the pre-Qin period.