唐 Tang · 诗 Poem
新嫁娘
The New Bride
三日入厨下，洗手作羹汤。
未谙姑食性，先遣小姑尝。
Not yet knowing her mother-in-law's taste, she first sends the younger sister-in-law to taste.
Meaning
The poem shows a new bride on her third day in the home, careful and clever as she tests her mother-in-law's taste by first letting the younger sister-in-law try the soup. In twenty words it captures the bride's caution and wit, and has long been read as a metaphor for a newcomer to office testing his superior.
婚后第三日下到厨房，洗了手亲手调制羹汤。还不熟悉婆婆的口味，先请小姑子尝一尝。
Appreciation
The poem shows the tension and cleverness of a new bride going to the kitchen on her third day. Washing her hands, she makes the soup herself; not knowing her mother-in-law's taste, she first asks the younger sister-in-law to try it. The plain description of daily detail, with not yet knowing and first sends, reveals the bride's caution and worldly wit. Though it seems to write only a bride, later readers see it as a metaphor for a new official probing his patron. Plain yet cunning, it became the definitive poem on the new bride.
【白话串讲】 “三日入厨下，洗手作羹汤”——王建写新嫁娘：过门三天，进厨房做饭。“未谙姑食性，先遣小姑尝”——她不知道婆婆的口味，先让小姑娘尝尝。一个聪明的新媳妇形象。 【意象与手法】 以白描写日常细节，“未谙”“先遣”写出新妇的小心与处世之巧，朴实中见机智。 【情感与主旨】 本写新嫁娘，后人多视为新入仕途者试探长官的隐喻（王建曾以此自况），具双关之趣。 【名句点睛】 “未谙姑食性，先遣小姑尝”——以生活细节写新妇的谨慎机智，朴中有巧，遂成咏新妇的绝唱。
Background
Wang Jian wrote three New Bride lyrics; this is the first. The Tang marriage custom had the bride go to the kitchen on her third day; the poem shows her cleverness in testing the mother-in-law's taste, and has also been read as a metaphor for a scholar newly entered into a patron's service.
《新嫁娘》为唐代王建所作，是写新嫁娘三日入厨、巧试姑食性的诗。王建（约767—约830），字仲初，颍川人，唐代诗人。此诗：三日入厨下，洗手作羹汤。未谙姑食性，先遣小姑尝。全诗写新嫁娘三日入厨、巧试姑食性，是王建诗的名篇。
Art
A five-character quatrain, plain as speech, with no allusion yet natural wit; the line first sends the younger sister-in-law to taste captures worldly wisdom.
《新嫁娘》艺术上以新嫁娘入厨的描摹与巧试姑食性的细腻见长。全诗四句：首写三日入厨——“三日入厨下，洗手作羹汤”写三日入厨下、洗手作羹汤；末写先遣小姑尝——“未谙姑食性，先遣小姑尝”写未谙姑食性、先遣小姑尝。全诗以新嫁娘入厨写巧试姑食性，正是王建诗细腻的笔法。
Allusions
Gu means mother-in-law (the husband's mother); younger sister-in-law (xiao gu) means the husband's sister; taste (shi xing) means flavor preference.
《新嫁娘》用典在“三日入厨”“羹汤”“小姑”。“三日入厨”写新妇三日入厨（古礼）；“羹汤”写羹汤（饮食）；“小姑”写小姑（丈夫之妹）。全诗以这些意象写新嫁娘入厨、巧试姑食性，用典自然而细腻自见，正是王建诗的笔法。
Commentary
The Tang Poetry Selection says paints the new bride like a picture, also implying the caution of first entering the world. The Shi Jing Qian Shuo calls it plain yet able to be cunning. The Sheng'an Shi Hua compares it to one newly entered into a patron's service.
《新嫁娘》是王建诗的名篇，也是唐代民俗诗中写新嫁娘的代表作。此诗写新嫁娘三日入厨、巧试姑食性，向为论者称道。论者多赏其新嫁娘入厨的描摹与巧试姑食性的细腻——“三日入厨下，洗手作羹汤”写三日入厨下、洗手作羹汤，细腻之极；“未谙姑食性，先遣小姑尝”写未谙姑食性、先遣小姑尝，更见其巧。王建以乐府诗著称，此诗正是其代表——以新嫁娘入厨写巧试姑食性，正是其诗风。
Prosody
Line by line
三日入厨下，洗手作羹汤。
On the third day she goes down to the kitchen; she washes her hands and makes soup.
三日入厨下，洗手作羹汤。
On the third day she goes down to the kitchen, washes her hands, and prepares the soup.
首写三日入厨下、洗手作羹汤，是全诗写新嫁娘入厨的起点。“三日入厨下”写三日入厨下——“三日入厨下”写婚后三日入厨房——三日入厨下；“洗手作羹汤”写洗手作羹汤——“洗手作羹汤”写洗净双手做羹汤——洗手作羹汤。二句写三日入厨下、洗手作羹汤：三日入厨下，洗手作羹汤。以“三日入厨下”写三日入厨、循礼下厨，以“洗手作羹汤”写洗手作羹、郑重其事，正是王建诗写新嫁娘入厨的起点——三日入厨，洗手作羹。
The opening writes on the third day she goes down to the kitchen and washes her hands for the soup, the starting point of the new bride entering the kitchen. On the third day she goes down to the kitchen: three days after the wedding, descending to the kitchen, following the rite. Washes her hands and prepares the soup: hands washed, the soup made, with ceremony. The two lines write the third day's kitchen entry and the washed hands - Wang Jian's starting point for the bride: entering the kitchen on day three, washing hands for the soup. The line opens with the kitchen rite as bi-xing, plain yet vivid: the young wife's careful first act, hands washed, soup made, the whole household's customs beginning in this small gesture.
未谙姑食性，先遣小姑尝。
Not yet knowing her mother-in-law's taste, she first sends the younger sister-in-law to taste.
未谙姑食性，先遣小姑尝。
Not yet knowing the mother-in-law's taste, she first sends the husband's younger sister to taste it.
末写未谙姑食性、先遣小姑尝，是全诗写巧试姑食性的归结。“未谙姑食性”写未谙姑食性——“未谙姑食性”写不知婆婆的口味——未谙姑食性；“先遣小姑尝”写先遣小姑尝——“先遣小姑尝”写先请小姑品尝——先遣小姑尝。二句写未谙姑食性、先遣小姑尝：未谙姑食性，先遣小姑尝。以“未谙姑食性”写不谙婆婆口味、恐其不适，以“先遣小姑尝”写先请小姑品尝、以探其味，正是王建诗写巧试姑食性的归结——不谙姑性，先遣姑尝。
The closing writes not knowing the mother-in-law's taste, first sending the sister-in-law to taste, the resolution of the clever test. Not yet knowing the mother-in-law's taste: unfamiliar with the old lady's preference, fearing it won't suit. She first sends the husband's younger sister to taste it: asking the sister-in-law to sample the flavor first. The two lines write the unknown taste and the cautious test - Wang Jian's resolution: not knowing the elder's palate, she deploys the sister-in-law as taster. The line uses this small tactic to write character, plain yet shrewd: the new bride's prudence and tact in one move, the kitchen scene closing in a smile.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
李端《听筝》写弹筝女误拂弦以引周郎顾，与本首同为唐五绝写女子巧思。差异在情境：新嫁娘写试羹知姑味；听筝写误弦引郎顾。一写“羹”之巧，一写“弦”之巧。两者并读，可见唐五绝写女子巧思的两种情境。
闺怨 The Wife's Lament 王昌龄 · 同为唐诗写女子心思，一写新嫁试羹一写闺中春怨，一巧一怨 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
王昌龄《闺怨》“闺中少妇不知愁，春日凝妆上翠楼”写闺中春怨，与本首同为唐诗写女子心思。差异在主题：新嫁娘写巧试姑味；闺怨写闺中闲愁。一写“巧”之思，一写“怨”之情。两者并读，可见唐诗写女子心思的两种主题。
春怨 A Complaint in Spring 金昌绪 · 与本首相关联的同类或同作者作品，供对比阅读 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
此处关联金昌绪《春怨》，与本首在主题、体裁或作者上相关联，可对比阅读以见其同异。