是父母之命不得不从
“because of my parents' orders.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
当初嫁给你
“but I married you”
是 父母之命不得不从
“because of my parents' orders.”
“I never loved you; I only married you because my parents forced me to.”
In traditional Chinese society, marriage was strictly dictated by 'orders of the parents and words of the matchmaker' (父母之命,媒妁之言), leaving children with little to no agency.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
parents' orders / parents' decree
A classical idiom frequently used in historical dramas to describe traditional arranged marriages.
have no choice but to obey
Use this four-character expression when external pressure leaves zero room for refusal.