Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 妾 | qiè | |
| 姨太太 | yítàitài | |
| 妃 | fēi | |
| 側室 / 侧室 | cèshì | archaic |
These terms generally refer to a woman who lives with a man, but who is not a wife (noun).
What does it mean word for word?
The archaic term 側室 literally means 'side room,' metaphorically referring to a woman who occupies a secondary position to the main wife.
Which one should you use?
妾 is the most basic and historically formal term for a concubine, often used in classical literature and emphasizes subordinate status. 側室 is a formal word for concubine used in written or official contexts. In contrast, 妃 is specifically used for high-ranking concubines or consorts within an imperial or royal household. 姨太太 is a more colloquial and descriptive term used in later imperial or republican eras to refer to a man's secondary wives or concubines.
How does it change in a sentence?
In ancient Chinese person-addressing, a woman might refer to herself as 妾 (my humble self) when speaking to a superior, though this is a different grammatical usage than the noun meaning concubine.
How do you pronounce it?
qiè
Did you know?
- One theory suggests the character 妾 might be an ideogram combining 'woman' with the symbol for a 'torture device', implying a woman who is a criminal or subject to punishment.
- The colloquial term 姨太太 uses the character 姨, which normally means 'maternal aunt', to describe a man's secondary wives.
- In historical Chinese social structures, the distinction between 妻 ('wife') and 妾 ('concubine') was a legal one, where a wife had a formal marriage contract and a concubine did not.
Examples in context
- 他的小老婆對他非常好His mistress treats him very well
- 在古代，有些男子会有妾。Zài gǔdài, yǒuxiē nánzǐ huì yǒu qiè.In ancient times, some men would have a concubine.
- 那个女人并不想做妾。Nàgè nǚrén bìng bù xiǎng zuò qiè.That woman does not want to be a concubine.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a historical drama they watched.
- 雨婷 Yuting那个故事里的妾很可怜。Nàgè gùshì lǐ de qiè hěn kělián.The concubine in that story is very pitiful.
- 志强 Zhiqiang是啊，雨婷，她的生活很辛苦。Shì a, Yǔtíng, tā de shēnghuó hěn xīnkǔ.Yes, Yuting, her life was very hard.
- 雨婷 Yuting志强，你觉得这种身份幸福吗？Zhìqiáng, nǐ juédé zhè zhǒng shēnfèn xìngfú ma?Zhiqiang, do you think this status is happy?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我觉得并不幸福。Wǒ juédé bìng bù xìngfú.I don't think it is happy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “concubine” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 妃, 妾, CC BY-SA 4.0.
