Character nv-woman

女

PINYIN

nǚ

Main meanings:

①woman; girl.
②daughter.
③female.

HSK - 1

STROKES - 3

RADICAL - 女

Etymology:

Elements ---- Pictogram of a woman 女. Phonetic series 女.

A pictogram of a woman with her arms stretched. In old versions she was seated on her knees. It is a radical that forms part of characters related to women and their qualities.

Main Words:

女儿 nǚ'ér – daughter (woman + child)

女人 nǚrén – woman (woman + person)

Discussion and sources

Though some authors consider that the pictogram of a woman kneeling is a symbol of the women submission in Chinese culture, in old China people usually sit on their knees.

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