三教九流 sān jiào jiǔ liú

DEFINITIONS

  1. the Three Religions (Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism) and Nine Schools (Confucians, Daoists, Yin-Yang, Legalists, Logicians, Mohists, Political Strategists, Eclectics, Agriculturists)
  2. fig. people from all trades (often derog.)

CHARACTERS

三 sān
HSK 1
three
教 jiào
HSK 2
teach, class
九 jiǔ
HSK 1
nine
流 liú
HSK 4
flow, circulate, drift; class