maternal grandparents' home; wife's natal family; parents-in-law; mistress
Meanings
5 senses · 10 examplesnoun
maternal grandparents' home; mother's parents' family
Refers to the family of one's mother's parents. Commonly used in southern Chinese dialects.
During Spring Festival, we visit our maternal grandparents' home to pay New Year respects.
The maternal grandparents' home is not far from the city—only half an hour by car.
noun
a married woman's natal family; her birth family
dialectUsed in certain dialects to refer to a woman's original family before marriage.
She went back to her natal family yesterday, saying she would stay a few days.
After marriage, she rarely returns to her natal family, afraid her husband's family will gossip.
noun
parents-in-law's home; wife's parents' family
literaryLiterary usage referring to the family of one's wife's parents.
The next day, he visited his parents-in-law's home and met his wife's parents.
The wife's family is a scholarly lineage with considerable prestige.
noun
a separate household established by a married man outside his original family
archaicHistorical usage referring to a married man setting up an independent household separate from his parents' home.
He established a separate household outside and rarely returned to the old family residence.
The separate household lives in a different courtyard, not staying with his brothers.
noun
a woman who forms a separate family with a married man; mistress; concubine establishment
archaicRefers to a woman who lives with a married man as his unofficial wife, or the household she maintains.
He keeps a mistress outside; his wife is unaware of it.
That mistress gave birth to a son and wants to force him to divorce.