男

• Pinyin: nán
• Hanzi breakdown: 男 = 田 (field) + 力 (strength)

Meaning

Male; man. An adjective or prefix indicating the male gender.

Used as a modifier before nouns to indicate male gender: 男人 (man), 男生 (male student), 男朋友 (boyfriend). The opposite is 女 (female). Also seen on signs for men's restrooms.

Examples

1. 这个班有十个男生。 This class has ten male students.
2. 男洗手间在左边。 The men's restroom is on the left.
3. 他是一个男老师。 He is a male teacher.

Usage Guide

Context: description, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 男女都可以参加。(Both men and women can participate.)
• 他们班男生比女生多。(Their class has more boys than girls.)

Don't Say

• 他是一个很男的人。(Unnatural — 男 is not used as a descriptive adjective like 'manly'; use 有男子气 or 阳刚 instead)

Origin & History

The character combines 田 (field) and 力 (strength), depicting a person using strength to work the fields — traditionally associated with men.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal